It is unusual to see blue penguins come ashore in the day. It was a mistake for this wee fellow, or perhaps felless as it was getting some heavy attention from a couple of black backed gulls. Rightly or wrongly we made it a temporary shelter on the beach at Tuateawa landing and the gulls lost interest. Hopefully it survived. It is not unusual to see dead penguins washed up on the beach but the numbers seem to be a little higher this year.
Blue penguins do nest all around the coast of New Zealand and have a near threatened status. They are predated by rats,cats, mustelids and dogs but thrive when protected. They often make a daily round trip, seeking food, of about 75 km. Mostly they find food in the top two m. of the sea but commonly dive 10 to 20m. They produce two eggs which both parents incubate. They hatch after 36 days and, eight weeks later, are fully grown and independent. Some live for 25 years but the average is around 5-6 years. Much of the mortality is early in the life cycle, frequently from starvation.
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