Penguin Island is situated in The Shoalwater Islands Marine Park.40km south of Perth.
This is a breeding ground for Pelicans as well as Pied Cormorants, Bridled Terns and Silver Gulls .
Over 90 species of birds have been observed on Penguin Island.
For anyone who’s thinking of going, there’s also a Penguin Discovery Centre on the island where you can learn about the little penguins that nest there. It’s a lovely day out with beautiful walking trails and some of the best coastal birdwatching you’ll find near Perth.
The discovery centre was closed in June 2023.
The building had become unsafe and the decision was made not to rebuild a new structure.
The island itself is still open for now. Though there have been rumblings the City of Rockingham council want to close the island for two years
Very interesting
Sad to hear, hope the island stays open
The problem being, when there a visitors on the island the penguins can not get to the water to cool off.
The penguins hide in their shelters while there are people about.
When the island closes at 4pm and there are no people hindering their access to the water, those little penguins can finally get relief from the heat.
During the moulting season, they get very hot but can not cool down because of the hoards of people. Some die in their shelters from heat exhaustion.
I believe the island should be closed to tourists permanently. Without doing so, mankind will be responsible for the extinction of another species all because someone wants to make money.