The Last Penguins – And How It All Ended

The Landing of Australian Little Penguins on New Zealand’s South Island

Was the list complete by Christmas? After 14 years, had all 19 species of penguins been documented? Yes, indeed – and under highly favorable circumstances! Under the starlit sky, the landing of Australian little penguins on New Zealand’s South Island, at the Otago Peninsula, was captured on film, where a small population of this species nests.

The Landing of Australian Little Penguins

Like all other little penguins, these ones also return to their nesting beaches from the sea only well after sunset. The birds emerge from the water in groups, sprinting quickly across the open sandy beach. Before disappearing into their burrows, they spend a long time meticulously grooming their all-important feathers.

Australian little penguins focus intently on the meticulous maintenance of their vital feathers.

The Erect-Crested Penguin Completed the Photo Collection

An inflatable boat adventure near the shores of the home islands of the erect-crested penguin proved to be just as challenging as one might expect. Even boarding the inflatable boat from the ship near Bounty Island likely exceeded safety limits, but courage prevailed, and the complete photographic collection of various penguin species was successfully achieved. You can watch a video capturing the atmosphere of boarding the inflatable boats here.

Erec-crested penguin.

Now that the collection of photographs of all the world’s penguin species is complete, it will be showcased in photography exhibitions across Finland throughout 2025.

Erect-crested penguin.

If rare penguins intrigue you further, more images from the New Zealand trip can be found on the Raunio.fi website.