The world-famous Penguin Parade on Phillip Island is a nightly event where hundreds or even thousands of Little Penguins ‘parade’ across the beach and up the sand dunes to return to their burrows after fishing at sea. This unique natural phenomenon has been occurring for thousands of years and we are lucky in Victoria to be able to witness it in all its wonder. Nothing can prepare you for the wondrous sight of these adorable little creatures waddling across the sand and up the slopes as they seek out their mates and their homes. It is called a ‘parade’ because that is exactly what the Penguins do – they parade on their way home.

Yes the penguins are completely wild. They have grown accustomed to all the infrastructure around their nests and seem unperturbed by it, going about their daily cycle without much concern about the humans who come to watch them. They are not captive or domesticated in any way. We are simply lucky to be able to watch them engaging in wild, natural behaviour as they have been doing for thousands of years.

The penguins tend to start coming ashore a little after sunset. They gather just offshore in small groups called ‘rafts’ and wait until the sun has gone down so that the fading light hides them from possible predators. Being so small they feel very vulnerable to attack. You will see them start to come ashore in these small ‘rafts’ at various points along the beach and near the rocks. As it gets darker more and more groups come ashore with the peak being in the hour after sunset.

Yes you are basically guaranteed to see penguins every night, although the actual numbers can vary quite a great deal. During peak breeding season for example you may see several thousand come ashore. But in the depths of winter there may only be a few hundred. But you will always see some and you will be able to see them up close.

Apart from the penguins on Phillip Island there are many other animals you will see. Cape Barren Geese for example wander all over the island. Wallabies are very common too, especially down near the Nobbies and Seal Rocks. Orcas have been spotted from time to time near Seal Rocks as they hunt seals. If you add in a wildlife park to your Phillip Island trip, you will see koalas, kangaroos, emus, dingoes and many other native Australian animals.

Yes, absolutely! There is a Koala Sanctuary on Phillip Island which is quite popular. However you will not tend to see koalas up close in this sanctuary. To get a better, closer look, we tend to take our guests to Maru Wildlife Sanctuary. Here they have several koalas you can get a much closer look at. And if you are happy to pay an extra fee you can even get so close to a koala you will be standing next to one. It makes for a memorable photo opportunity.

Sadly no, photography and videoing of the penguins is not allowed. This is because the light from your flash or camera can temporarily blind the little penguins, causing them to be unable to see their way home. In fact it could even permanently blind them, and you would not want that, would you? The good news is that you can download hundreds of free photos and videos of the penguins, much better photos than you could ever take, here at https://www.penguins.org.au/attractions/penguin-parade/photo-gallery/

The best time of the year to visit the Penguin Parade is generally considered to be October to January. This is the summer time and includes the peak breeding season so you will see many more penguins. The ‘sweet spot’ is considered spring – October – November where the viewing time is around 8pm, not too late. If you come in winter, you will miss the crowds and the earlier viewing time is popular for a lot of people as the penguins start coming in around 5.30-6.00pm. It depends on your choice.