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The Yellow-eyed Penguin is the third largest
penguin, following the Emperor and King penguins. In
Maori they are called "hoiho," which means the
"noise maker".
The penguin gets its
name from the yellow color around the eyes and
feathers which circle the head. |
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Getting close to
the penguins is forbidden. These photos were taken
with a telephoto lens that enabled us to get a view
"up-close." Here a pair are grooming each other. The
penguins fish all day and come home early in the
evening. Their nests are high above the nearby beach
along a hillside. They stand about 2 feet tall and
weigh about 10-13 pounds. |
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We were able, thanks
to the Argo vehicle, to get fairly close to a family
of seals basking on the rocks at the water's edge.
Here, the bull seal is sunning his tummy, oblivious
to the fact that we were nearby. Actually, we were
in a small shelter. The bull can be very aggressive,
and caution had to be exercised. |
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Here a rather
large pup is nursing while mom is catching some rest
in a rock cave. |
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At some distance
from the others, these seals are sunning themselves
on a rock while a sea gull stands nearby. |
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This pup seemed to
be quite content as he snoozed in the afternoon sun.
Dunedin is highly
regarded as a center for what is today called
"eco-tourism." We applaud their efforts. |
