March 2, 2024

Albatross Center and Opera (Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance)

We are staying on the Otago Peninsula. In the morning we are going to visit the Albatross Center. We are lucky and can observe five different nests. One of the adult albatross is feeding its young. Two chicks are all by themselves and waiting for food. We are not disappointed, one of the parent comes back feed the young one and shortly thereafter flies away again.

Did you know that it takes almost a year from the time a nest is made and the albatross pair starts sitting on their egg until the chick is old and strong enough to fly and be on its own. Afterwards they take break of a whole year and fly to Chile some 9,000 km away from here, before the cycle starts over again.

After our tour, Peter goes down to the viewing platform where he sees three blue penguins under the platform which are in the process of shedding their feathers.

We are very lucky.

In the afternoon we are doing another tour. A local has dedicated a huge swath of land to the yellow penguin so they can come ashore in peace and quiet without being disturbed by anything. They also have a rehabilitation center where they nurture sick and injured penguins.

Opera even builds small nests for the blue and the yellow penguins. We are so lucky. One of the small blue penguin huts is occupied.

We are lucky that we are part of a group where everyone had a professional camera. One of the girls was very kind and gave me these these two pictures.

We spend the night again at the same parking lot.