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As the Northern Royal Albatross spreads its massive wings, I thought this day couldn’t get any better. Then, our second Royal Albatross Centre tour brought us to a beach that is now a Little Blue Penguin habitat. Here, we witnessed 95 fairy penguins return from the sea, waddle across the sand, and climb the rocks just metres from where we stood.

Northern Royal Albatross in flight with the Taiaroa Head Lighthouse in the Background. Photo Credit: Chris McCormack
Northern Royal Albatross in flight with the Taiaroa Head Lighthouse in the background.
Photo Credit: Chris McCormack. Used with permission.
Blue Penguins Pukekura - Credit Stephen Jaquiery
Little Blue Penguins on Pilots Beach.
Photo Credit: Stephen Jaquiery. Used with permission.

The evening’s magic is burned into my brain. The birds are extraordinary; one the world’s largest flying species, the other the world’s smallest penguin. As a photographer, it was a bit of a miss, one of my first fails. Excitement, fog, tinted observation area glass (albatross), and shadows (penguins) create a less than ideal photography shoot. Yet, our time at the Royal Albatross Centre was a highlight of our recent visit to Dunedin.

Taiaroa Head is home to the only mainland breeding colony of the Northern Royal Albatross
We can’t control nature, and fog rolled in while we watched the Royal Albatross.

It began with a picturesque drive to Taiaroa Head at the end of the Otago Peninsula. Here, the albatross have created a home, and the Royal Albatross Centre offers tours. We opted to do it all. First, we joined one of the albatross tours, then we explored Fort Taiaroa, next, we enjoyed dinner at the cafe, and finally, we watched a breeding colony of penguins return to their habitat.

Albatross Colony Dunedin

Taiaroa Head is home to the only mainland breeding colony of the Northern Royal Albatross. They mate for life, returning here once every two years to breed. They produce one chick per breeding cycle and they sit on that egg for 79 days before it hatches.

Albatross is the world’s largest flying species, and the Northern Royal Albatross is the third largest of the breed, weighing in at up to 9kg. Their massive wingspan expands up to three metres. Graceful to witness, they glide, rarely flapping their wings. Once a chick has fledged, it will take 10 days to fly from New Zealand to South America at speeds up to 120 kph, returning to Taiaroa Head as a teen to find a mate.

Royal Albatross flying Otago Harbour, credit Leon Chu
Photo Credit: Leon Chu. Used with permission.
Royal Albatross with egg
Royal Albatross with egg.
Photo Credit: Royal Albatross Centre. Used with permission.

Fort Taiaroa and the Armstrong Disappearing Gun

The historic Fort Taiaroa is one of New Zealand’s earliest settlements. A Maori camp in the 1300s, it later became a fortified Pa and was one of many sites where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840.

Like many peninsulas in New Zealand, Taiaroa Head was used for defence, first by the Maori, and then later by New Zealand. Similar to North Head in Devonport, Fort Taiaroa was built underground and into the hill during the 1880s for fear of Russian invasion. Both sites use a system of tunnels and the famous New Zealand Armstrong disappearing gun.

The Armstrong disappearing gun with its hand driven pump in the foreground at Fort Taiaroa in Dunedin New Zealand
The Armstrong disappearing gun with its hand-driven pump in the foreground.
Fort Taiaroa Underground Tunnel
An underground tunnel in Fort Taiaroa.
Photo Credit: Royal Albatross Centre. Used with permission.

Dinner at the Albatross Cafe

We took the last albatross tour of the day. This left us with enough time to enjoy dinner before the penguin tour started at dusk. The floor to ceiling atrium style windows makes the Albatross Cafe a pleasant place to enjoy a meal or a coffee.

Chicken and kumara pie at the Albatross Cafe inside the Royal Albatross Centre in Dunedin New Zealand
My delicious chicken and kumara pie came with a salad and chips.

Breeding Colony of Penguins

Standing on the platform overlooking Pilots Beach, we watched for movement in the water. Each evening at dusk, the Little Blue Penguins come home in groups, called rafts. Easy to spot, from the first glance you could feel the excitement. The Royal Albatross Centre has installed lights, allowing us to see it all without disturbing the birds. The natural atmosphere enhances the magic. The gentle breeze carries the fresh aroma of the ocean mixed with wafts of damp penguin. Their tiny bodies waddle up the beach, scamper over the rocks, and disappear into burrows. The loud squawking vocalization of the penguins is the only thing that interrupts our thoughts.

We saw 95 Little Blues that night. They are part of a breeding colony of penguins that mate for life and return to the same spot on Pilots Beach daily. At only 25 cm tall, their camouflage protects these flightless birds from penguin predators. Their blue backs look like the ocean to flying birds from above, while their white bellies appear like a glow from the sun to penguin predators lurking under the sea.

Breeding colony of penguins returning home a the Royal Albatross Centre, Dunedin New Zealand
The raft of penguins approach the rocks. The birds at the water’s edge are seagulls.

Breeding colony of penguins at the Royal Albatross Centre, Dunedin New Zealand

Penguins climbing the hill to their burrow at the Royal Albatross Centre, Dunedin New Zealand
Climbing the hill to their burrow.

Practical Information on Visiting the Royal Albatross Centre

  • The New Zealand Department of Conservation manages the albatross colony as a nature reserve, while the Royal Albatross Centre is operated by the Otago Peninsula Trust. Both organizations focus on preservation and education.
  • As there is no public or self-guided access into the nature reserve or beach, penguin and albatross tours are the only way to see this breeding area. Tour fees help pay for conservation work.
  • The Royal Albatross Centre offers a variety of tour options, each including one or a combination of the albatross, Fort Taiaroa, and penguins. They also offer a tour option with transportation from Dunedin. See the Royal Albatross Centre tour options on their official website.
  • Daily penguin or albatross tours should be booked in advance, as they often fill up.
  • The Albatross Cafe closes one hour before dusk. If you want to do what we did, order your meal before the albatross tour.
  • Here is a Royalcam live stream:

Where to Stay in Dunedin

If you are planning to view the penguins at night, you will need a place to stay. There are a few options on the Otago Peninsula, or you may want to take the 45-minute drive back to Dunedin. We stayed at the Distinction Hotel.

HOTEL FEATURES
Distinction Dunedin Hotel The Distinction made us feel special
Luxuriously comfortable beds
Beautiful views
A huge gym on the third floor
Larnach Lodge and Stable Stay Stay in and enjoy dinner at New Zealand’s only castle
Clean and comfortable rooms
Regal gardens and the castle will make you glad you chose to stay here
The Victoria Hotel Traditional style hotel rooms in a great location

General Information

  • Otago Peninsula’s nickname is the Wildlife Capital of New Zealand.
  • Little Blue Penguins live in many places in the southern hemisphere. We have seen them on TiriTiri Matangi Island in Auckland and in St. Kilda in Melbourne (Australia).
  • If you prefer tours to do it yourself, and you want to see other Dunedin penguins, sea lions, seals, and other wildlife, another option is one of the Wildlife tours that include the Royal Albatross Centre, plus more.

⇒ Check prices and availability of Dunedin Wildlife Tours

Will you see it all at the Royal Albatross Centre?


Disclaimer: The Royal Albatross Centre hosted our visit. However, the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

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Comments

  4. Albatross in flight photos are spectacular! I am sure it must have been a special moment to see the bird with largest wingspan soaring by. I quite enjoyed reading about the cute little penguins too.

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  5. This post was absolutely fascinating and the photos exquisite! I love the photo of the albatross with the egg and the little penguins. Looks like quite an adventure

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  7. Animal / bird photography is an art, and you seem to have a hang of it 🙂 Close up shots of the albatross are wonderful, specially with the lighthouse in the background. The first time I saw penguins in New Zealand, I fell for their cuteness. I can imagine myself having the time of my life in this penguin colony.

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  8. Fairy penguins are my favorite! One of those creatures you could visit time and time again but never get enough of! The whole day sounds great, what an awesome way to do it, with an albatross tour and Fort Taiaroa before the Penguins. Sad photography wise that the weather wasn’t great for you – but sometimes I find these moments force us to put the camera down and really experience the moment 🙂

    I would love to see it all at the Royal Albatross Center!

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  9. That’s pretty cool that you were able to see one of the worlds largest flyers and then right after smallest penguin – all in one spot! I would say you did pretty well from a photography standpoint regardless of fog, excitement, and everything else. I can’t get over the fact that one of these albatrosses can fly from New Zealand to South America in 10 days. That’s just incredible. The wildlife and specifically the birds are just so unique and interesting in New Zealand. I could do without the Weka’s though, they’ll steal anything that isn’t nailed down!

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  11. Fascinating post! First, the penguins are wonderful! Second, the bunker and disappearing gun was really interesting! To think that New Zealanders were worried about Russian invasion in the 1880s! Thirdly, I love albatross photos and info because I lived on Midway Island in the Pacific as a child and these albatross’s cousins were everywhere! 🙂 Great photos and wonderful info.

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  16. Loved your photographs, even if it was a bit of a “miss” (I’m sure we all know that feeling). I think it’s interesting that the birds mate for life. I don’t feel like there are too many species that do that. Maybe this is weird, but I think it’s great that birds can find true love, haha. Thanks for the great post. Will definitely have to check out Taiaroa Head.

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  18. Rhonda, your photos i9n this article are just stunning. I found myself just flicking back and forth through them all. I honestly didn’t know that these penguins were the smallest in the world. Just so adorable. I’m not sure that I’ve ever actually seen an albatross in real life either. Would definitely love to visit this place.

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  19. Your photos are so cute. I could have spent all day looking at the birds. I had no idea albatross flew so fast! I just remember learning as a kid that they had a hard time landing. I’m not exactly sure why I didn’t know penguins lived in New Zealand, but I’m glad to know I don’t have to go all the way to Antarctica, not that I don’t want to do that too. Hopefully I can make it down there sometime next year.

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  20. Ah your post makes me envious! I love penguins so the albatross tour sounds perfect for me! I’ll need to remember to book in advance when I visit New Zealand!

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  21. I’ve never heard of the Little Blue Penguins – it must have been so special to see them. They are adorable! (We also have a colony of small penguins here in Cape Town, an endangered species called the African penguins, and I love to visit them.) Your albatross pics are fantastic, there is something so majestic about these birds!

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  23. Wow, this is an educating post. I wonder how the ALbatross fly with their 9 kgs of weight – probably the long wings help. The little blue Penguins are so endearing.

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  24. I think New Zealand is a paradise for birds, but I agree the birds are hard to photograph. I love penguins but wasn’t aware about Little Blue Penguin. There are so many species… My first toy as a toddler was a penguin.

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  25. This post came at the perfect time! I’ve been dying to see penguins – any species of penguin – in the wild my whole life, and my husband and I just bought tickets to New Zealand in January. We’re a little nervous because I hear it can be wicked expensive, but we’re going to try it out on a budget! Anyway, got a little distracted by my own excitement 😉 but this place is definitely on my list! How cool that you can see the smallest penguins and largest flying bird species all in one spot! I can’t wait to give it a go!

    Reply

  26. Looks like a great place to visit. Our kids love penguins. This place reminds me of Phillip Island near Melbourne in Australia. They have an amazing penguin colony there as well. The pie with chips and salad looks amazingly yummy

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  27. Learned some interesting new things about a bird I didn’t know much about- First, that’s awesome that they mate for life- I love it! I can’t believe they fly from NZ to South America either, that just seems crazy! Also I had no idea that NZ ever was afraid of Russians invading, that’s also crazy to me!! Finally, I LOVE penguins SO MUCH and I am so jealous you got to see so many! How cool!

    Reply

  29. I have somehow have been always so fascinated with Albatross but there is plenty I learnt today! Super impressed with their wing span of 3 meters…that’s massive! You might see this as a fail for you a photographer, but trust me your story brings a lot of joy to readers like us 🙂

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  30. Omg Rhonda! Those little blue penguins are freaking adorable!! Before reading this article, I saw the picture on social media today or yesterday and had been smiling at how cute they were since then. What a fun trip!

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  34. These majestic albatrosses are stunning to see in person. When I worked at the shipping terminal in New Jersey I saw one. Had to be. So huge, just massive, and it had those distinct eyes. Turns out, these guys get lost sometimes when flying north from South America and may get caught in hurricanes or big storms that pull them into the Northeast USA. Sweet treat to see one in person.

    Ryan

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  36. A few years ago I read about the Little Blue Fairy Penguins and found them fascinating. Since I like to crochet little plush animals and have made several penguins, I decided to add the ‘Blue’ penguin to my collection. He’s so cute. 🙂

    The Royal Albatross Centre sounds wonderful. I would love to visit. Meanwhile, I enjoyed your virtual tour.

    PS: I had to look up Kumara, as I had no idea what it was… LOL. Sounds (and looks) like a delicious meal you had.

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  42. This is one tour I would definitely like to take someday. I know it must have been a highlight for you, since you love the penguins so much. What wonderful pictures! It also gives a new perspective on “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner” and what it must be like to have a dead albatross hanging from one’s neck.

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    • You called that right. It was a complete highlight. I don’t know the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, but I would not want 9kgs of anything hanging around my neck. And, if it was a different species of albatross, it could have been even larger.

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  44. I so love visiting places where you can see wildlife and have often joined the local birding hikes. New Zealand is on my list and this is another reason to go. I would love to see both of these birds in person.

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    • The albatross is the largest flying bird. There are several albatross species. The Northern Royal is the third largest of those. As for the photos, the best ones are not mine, as we had a foggy night, although considering the conditions, I was pleased with a few of my penguin photos.

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    • Many of the photos were given to me by the Royal Albatross Centre, as we had a foggy night, not conducive for photos, but still fine for seeing the birds. Kumara is a Maori sweet potato. It is a commonly eaten food in New Zealand, similar to a yam.

      Reply

  49. This looks like a dream! especially the breeding colony of penguins! <3 soooo cute! I can't imagine how awesome it would be to witness 95 fairy penguins return from the sea, waddle across the sand, and climb the rocks! Such a memorable encounter! 🙂 One of the prime reasons NZ is on my list! Thank you for sharing Rhonda!!

    Reply

    • Yes, it was a dream for me. It is the third time we have stood on various beaches waiting for the penguins to come home, and the first time I saw anything like this. The first raft of about 20 would have satisfied my need to see penguins come home. The rest were an incredible bonus.

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  51. Hi Rhonda – what amazing photos that you’ve shared … I’d love to see an albatross sometime … and those fairy penguins … while the tour underground gave you a different perspective on life … great to see history – cheers Hilary

    Reply

  52. This brings back such great memories. I love NZ and wildlife and combining the two to visit the penguins was amazing. Great photos! Thanks for the trip down memory lane

    Reply

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