Kaikoura’s little blue penguins

Throughout the year little blue penguins can be sighted in the waters around Kaikoura Peninsula. These are the smallest of the penguin species and weight a kilogram and stand 25 centimetres tall. The birds also have a distinct blue colouration. Little blues are found throughout New Zealand and each region has a slightly different (sub-species). In Kaikoura the Northern little blue is the main type sighted. Although Southern little blues also occur occasionally. A bird tagged in Oamaru was recently found breeding at Kaikoura.
A small colony of about 15 pairs of little blues breed on Kaikoura Peninsula. The birds come ashore at night from August to January (the birds breeding season). By day time little blues feed around the reefs on the end of Kaikoura Peninsula. Boaties and kayakers should keep an eye out, especially just offshore from South Bay and also between the Seal Colony and New Wharf, in the waters just offshore from Armers Beach. Occasionally the odd bird will come ashore during the daytime such as this bird photographed on the reef platform at the Seal Colony Car Park.
Little blues from other regions also move into Kaikoura's rich waters in the autumn and winter with influxes of Canterbury’s’ own version of little blue penguin called the white-flippered penguin occurring. Little blues breed around New Zealand often in areas close to people such as harbour breakwaters and in some cases under people’s batches! The birds noisily braying calls can be heard at night and for such as small penguin they can make a lot of noise. Blue penguins locally have benefited from nest boxes set up in South Bay.