June 12, 2011 - Penguins and Sea Lions
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During our stay on the Otago Peninsula area of New Zealand, Diana and I went on a tour to see Yellow-eyed Penguins. We were taken to some private land which is being managed to provide the kind of habitat they require. Like other Penguin species, these birds spend a lot of time in the ocean fishing for their meals. Their nests are hidden in the scrubby thickets along the shore. Most Penguins nest in large colonies but the Yellow-eyed Penguin prefers to have its nest out of sight of other Penguins. We were taken to a blind (or “hide,” as they call it in New Zealand) where we saw the Penguins coming ashore and hopping up the hill over the rocks. As we were leaving, this one came ashore and walked right past us.
This is the time of year that the Yellow-eyed Penguins are molting. You can see some feathers coming out on its leg and tail. We know that Penguins are birds, but both Diana and I said it was hard to think of them as having feathers; it looks more like they are covered with hair. With an estimated population of only about 4000, the Yellow-eyed is one of the rarest Penguin species in the world. They are found along the southeast coast of New Zealand’s south island and on some of the smaller islands in that area. They are about 24 inches tall and the only Penguin species with yellow eyes. Also note the band of yellow that runs from the eyes across the head.
In the same bay where we saw the Penguins, there were New Zealand Sea Lions resting on the sand. This is a male and he is huge! Males can exceed 3 meters (almost 10 feet) in length and weigh at least 400 kg (nearly 900 pounds). They are dark in color and have a shaggy mane that reaches to their shoulders. This species is found only around New Zealand and is considered the most endangered Sea Lion in the world. We kept our distance from this guy.
This is another male who was sleeping on the sand. He barely opened his eyes to look at us as we walked by. These Sea Lions eat fish, crabs, and mollusks, but their favorite food is squid. They have also been known to take Penguins, so the Yellow-eyed Penguins were pretty cautious when they came ashore.
New Zealand is a beautiful country. It has lots of picturesque coastal shoreline. Here’s the view from our motel in Portobella. That’s on the south island, on the Otago Peninsula.
I have several galleries on my web site showing all my photos from our New Zealand trip. Here’s a link to those galleries. http://www.earlorfphotos.com/NewZealandTrip-April2011
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