The smallest (and cutest) penguin in the world, the Little Penguin is around 33 centimetres tall with adults weighing just over 1 kilogram. The Little Penguin is the only blue feathered penguin in the world and will typically live for 7 years.
The scientific name of the Little Penguin, Eudyptula minor means 'good little diver'. They can dive up to 69 metres, making on average 700 dives a day to search for fish, squid or krill.
Native to Phillip Island, the Little Penguins make the sand dune burrows on the Summerlands Peninsula their home. They start their day very early – leaving their burrows at first light to go fishing in the sea. At sunset, the magic of the Penguin Parade begins as the Little Penguins emerge from the sea and march in groups across the beach to their burrows.
The Phillip Island Nature Park Research Centre is the world leader in Little Penguin research. Learn more about the exciting work that they do here.
Click here for amazing facts about the penguins, including their typical annual cycle, eating habits and other fascinating facts!
Adopt a Little Penguin
You can help protect the Little Penguins by adopting a penguin of your own through the Penguin Foundation.
The Penguin Foundation is a charity devoted to providing a dedicated source of funding for penguin research, rehabilitation, protection and rescue projects to ensure the ongoing survival of the Little Penguin colony on Phillip Island.
Some of the imporant work the Foundation undertakes includes:
Building a new penguin hospital to care for and rehabilitate sick and injured penguins
Developing revolutionary oil cleaning technologies for penguins in the event of an oil spill
Establishing nesting boxes that give penguin couples a safe home to increase their breeding prospects
Protecting the Little Penguins’ natural environment
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