Fairy Penguins On Parade

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We arrived at our final tour destination, the main attraction of our Go West Tours day long adventure, The Penguin Parade.  It was about 7 PM when we arrived.   There was time to have something to eat and explore the visitor center before heading out to the viewing platform. 

While eating in their cafe, we checked our emails and saw the email from Princess Cruises, that due to Coronavirus, our cruise would be terminated in Fremantle, Australia.  It was supposed to continue to Thailand and end in Singapore, where the ship would go into dry dock for some enhancements.

Not even this news could dampen our excitement to see the Fairy Penguins march from the sea to their nesting places.   By now, the weather was getting worse, however.  It was cold, windy, and raining.  Fortunately, we had worn rain gear, so we were pretty comfortable.

There are several different vantage points to see the Penguin Parade.  General seating is included in the base tour price or you can upgrade them. We purchased "Penguins Plus" tickets which got us preferred seating on an elevated platform.

The image above was enhanced to add in some Fairy Penguins.   The arrow shows the path they take from the sea. 

Important Tip: Sorry! No photography or filming is permitted at the Penguin Parade. 

Penguins have sensitive eyes and a bright, sudden flash or unusual light can frighten or disorientate a penguin. To ensure penguins keep coming back to this special area they ask you do not use your cameras, camcorders or camera phones at the Penguin Parade.

Download their free app for access to a gallery of images that are yours to keep and share! You can also view and download free photos at their online gallery (Google Chrome browser recommended).

We've included Phillip Island Nature Park's video so that you can get an idea of what we experienced.  The parade started around 8 PM or so.   We watched for awhile and then started the walk back along the boardwalk.   This was actually the best viewing as the penguins were walking alongside us as we headed back to the visitor center.

"Experience the magic of little penguins returning home at sunset to one of the largest penguin colonies in Australia"

What an amazing day.  Each stop on the Go West Tour was better than the one before.  The only thing that would have improved the tour, would have been nicer weather, but that is out of our control.  We met our driver around 9 PM and we all settled in for the 3 hour drive back to our hotels. 

We highly recommend Go West Tours Melbourne Australia.   If this is representative of their other tours, you won't go wrong selecting any of them.

For more images from our Penguin Parade stop, see our Phillip Island Penguin Parade photo album.

We'll talk more about our first day in Melbourne in another post.  For more images, see our Shutterfly Photo Page.
Hopefully, you've followed us live on our social media channels as well.  Don't worry if you didn't, as our anchor post will tie everything together for you.  Just click the image (left) to our diary post.

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The Many Faces of the Galapagos

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Get Up Close & Personal

With the Galapagos Inhabitants

The Galapagos Islands contain a unique combination of land and oceanic ecosystems, with many distinct habitats found in each. The Galapagos are located at the point where major ocean currents meet and the islands straddle the junctions between several shifting tectonic plates.


This area is truly unlike any other place on earth.

The Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), one of the world's largest protected areas, has more than 2,900 reported marine species and over 18% of those live nowhere else on earth. Some of the best known coastal animals of Galapagos include sea lions, fur seals, flightless cormorants, albatrosses, three species of booby, two frigatebird species, sea turtles, the marine iguana, and penguins.

The Galapagos National Park Service works hand in hand with the Charles Darwin Research Station implementing their common goals of conservation and preservation of the natural resources with the Galapagos National Park and Galapagos Marine Reserve. The park service approves all itineraries of boats visiting the islands making sure that the tourism is distributed evenly throughout the islands. They also work as the licensing board for guides in the islands.

Meet the Inhabitants

From the time you arrive in the Galapagos until the time you depart, you will be accompanied by the naturalists who are there to instruct as well as to protect the inhabitants and the land.

Zodiac Exploration

Some of the excursions that you can select will be labeled as "low intensity".  Those trips will typically include a zodiac ride along the island exploring from the water.   The driver will get close to land, but yet the inhabitants that you'll be viewing won't be in any harm or show any concern for your presence.  They'll go about their day, most likely just resting on the rocks or looking out to sea.
 

Explore on Foot

The other method of exploration on the islands is on foot of course.   Both the low and higher intensity tours will usually include some walking.  The higher intensity excursions will have longer walks and may also include some more of a challenge.   Your naturalist can answer any questions about the destination to help you decide which one is right for you.

Stay between the white posts

You can see in this image that there is a marker to the left of the hikers.   It is marked with white and black stripes.   The group needs to stay between the markers at all times.  This protects the fragile environment.  Of course the inhabitants can go wherever they choose, so you may find some of them on your path.    Take all the photos you want, but be respectful at all times.

See More of the Faces

Many Faces of Galapagos (117 photos)

Here are some of the faces of Galapagos that you'll see when you explore the archipelago. Some of them only a mother could love while others are so cute you'll fall in love with them at first glance. Add your thoughts and we'll update the captions.

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Additional Photos can be found on our Exotics Shutterfly page

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