Taranaki Little Blue Penguins

If you see little blue penguins - alive, dead, or foot prints etc you can easily record them on Nga Motu Marine Reserve Society mapping database. Please Click here

LBP population appears to be the most concentrated in the North of Taranaki from Onareo north to Tongaporutu. There appears to be sporadic birds nesting at Bell Block Beach, Waiwhakaiho and Fitzroy beaches. Port Taranaki has significant evidence of activity. South from the port LBP become very scarce although the odd individuals and dead ones have been found north and south of Oakura Beach. Further tracks have been found South of Fort St George. Unfortunately the only evidence of LBP in South Taranaki has been found at Middleton’s Beach, although several dead ones where reported along the Southern coast. As the year has progressed and breeding season has began the number of prints and evidence of LBP has increased in the all areas north of the Stony River.

Penguins have already started breeding in Taranaki which makes it earlier than expected. Nice to hear that penguins are back at Bell Block beach. Keep an ear out and look for those prints.
Don't forget to register your interest for penguin week by emailing me at taranakipenguins@gmail.com - Happy Feet everyone

This year I have been awarded a teacher fellowship to research little blue penguins in Taranaki. I am working closely with DOC and Nga Motu Marine Reserve Society.


Why research little blue penguins?
There is concern that the population of little blue penguins is in decline in Taranaki. They use to be a common sight /sound and smell, often found under baches at sea side settlements like Oakura. Things have changed in the last 10 - 20 years. There are more people living by the coast, many of the baches have been replaced with concrete floor dwellings and the number of dogs and cats near the coast has increased.

One of my aims is to establish the little blue penguins distribution, both historically and in the present time. To accomplish this I am talking to locals about there experiences with little blues in the past. Present data is being collected by footprint surveys and night surveys.