Phillip Island Ultimate Penguin Eco Tour or Skybox Experience

• Fully accredited Eco Tour
• Personalized view of the Penguin Parade
• Free use of binoculars
• Personal headphone commentary (eco tour only)
  
• Night vision technology to view penguins (eco tour only)
• Australian Goods and Services Tax (GST)
From October 1, 2009 the Penguin skybox experience will include a complimentary glass of wine, champagne or beer with snacks.

• Hotel pickup and drop off

• Confirmation for this tour will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
• Plan your day to arrive 1.5 hours before sunset. Enjoy Nobbies Centre while you wait (5 minutes from parade site)
• Penguin arrival time is advertised around the island
• All revenue generated by the Phillip Island Nature Park benefits penguins and conservation
• No refunds are due for adverse weather conditions
• The Parade is an outdoor experience so please dress warmly. You must wear sturdy footwear (slip on shoes or high heels not permitted).
• Ultimate Penguin Eco Tour participants must have a reasonable level of fitness and flexibility to walk approximately 2 kilometers (1.4 miles) along the beach or roads and sit quietly on a beach for approximately 1 hour.
• Penguin Eco Tour caters up to 10 people. Skybox experience caters up to 10 people per night.
• Photography and video are NOT PERMITTED at the Penguin Parade
• Children aged 15 years and under are not permitted on this tour
• Adult pricing applies to all travelers

Why can we not take photos of the Penguins?
Phillip Island Nature Park understands the disappointment of not being able to use your camera but hope you have an enjoyable experience of the Penguin Parade® The Park did not take lightly the decision not to allow cameras. After many years of consideration the cameras were banned for the following reasons:

• Flash photography is at the blue end of the light spectrum and disturbs penguins: Whilst flash photos were always banned, the Park could not stop them being taken. Many people could not turn their flash off their camera. This taking of flash photos also disturbed other customers who were obeying the ban.


• The parade lights are soft and dispersed at the yellow end of the spectrum: Research has proven that these lights do not affect the penguins.


• All photos are banned because some new digital and video cameras are very like flash cameras in appearance: Since the new cameras regulation many people have commented on the improved experience while watching penguins. Visitors are no longer crowded by other customers trying to take pictures and the whole evening is now much more peaceful for people and penguins.

Some amazing Penguin facts:

• The penguins at Phillip Island are the smallest of 17 species of penguins in the world (they are only 33cm tall). Their largest Antarctic cousin is the Emperor Penguin, standing up to 130 cm tall.
• Penguins are found only in the southern hemisphere; so you will never see a penguin and Polar Bear together in the wild!
• The name 'Little Penguin' is now used instead of 'Fairy Penguin' as it is a more accurate translation of their scientific name, Eudyptula minor.
• A Little Penguin can actually sleep at sea, dozing as it floats on the surface.
• A Little Penguin can stay at sea for weeks, diving for fish, yet its waterproof feathers keep its skin absolutely dry.
• Penguins may swim 15 - 20 kilometres a day searching for small fish to eat. One penguin was recorded travelling 100 kilometres in one day!
• A Little Penguin has been recorded diving to 65 metres!
• The Little Penguin's dark feathers are not black like other penguins. They are a deep, rich blue. Their colour camouflages them from above and below the surface of the ocean.
• Natural hazards for penguins are sharks, birds of prey, rough weather and fish shortages.
• Sadly, a penguin's biggest danger is humans. They die from our plastic rubbish, oil spills at sea and on land from cars and introduced animals such as foxes, cats and dogs.
• A fox may kill as many as 30 or 40 penguins in one night. The fox is the penguins' main predator and keeps the rangers busy protecting the penguins.
• The Penguin Parade® research team are world leaders in the study of Little Penguins.
• Volunteers are knitting sweaters for penguins to keep them warm during the rehabilitation process after being oiled by spills at sea.
• Phillip Island Nature Park is a self-funding organization dedicated to protecting Little Penguins and other wildlife and their habitats on Phillip Island. The Penguin Parade® has become the number one wildlife tourist destination in Australia, with over half a million visitors per year.

Complete Operator information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, are included on your Confirmation Voucher. Our Product Managers select only the most experienced and reliable operators in each destination, removing the guesswork for you, and ensuring your peace of mind.