Wild penguins in South Australia

I absolutely love penguins and most of the world doesn’t believe that Australia has wild penguins! Bet we do! And they are so cute because we have the world’s smallest penguin; the Little penguin. So if you love South Australian wildlife then add penguins to the list of Kangaroos, Emus and Koalas.

Are there penguins in Australia?

Yes! In South Australia you can see Penguins in a few places if you know when to go and where to look. This article will stop your search for where can I see penguins in South Australia and place you hopefully very closely to these gorgeous creatures.

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Fairy Penguins Kangaroo Island

Penneshaw Penguin Centre is a must visit when on Kangaroo Island, being the last operational penguin centre in South Australia. They offer nightly tours for small groups of people, to learn about and search for the small colony of penguins on Kangaroo Island.

Let’s first clarify what we’re searching for. It’s the Little Penguin or Eudyptula Minor if you’re looking for the scientific name. This penguin is also known as the Fiary Penguin and yes to answer are fairy penguins the smallest penguin, yes it’s the smallest of all penguin species! How cute ❤️ And they can be found in South Australia, the hottest state in the world’s hottest country?! Crazy!

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Where to see penguins in South Australia

So let’s dive into where you can see penguins in South Australia. Melbourne’s Phillip Island is famous for their penguins but we have a few great spots as well. This photo here went viral across Australia as it featured a fairy penguin giving a hug to his friend down at St Kilda.

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Granite Island’s Little Penguins

Granite Island is located just off of Victor Harbor on South Australia’s coastline. This makes for a great weekend trip and if you’re lucky you could see this tiny penguin (standing at only 30cm tall!) The numbers have significantly dropped in the past years but due to protection efforts their numbers are slowly regrowing. Currently the numbers are low but if you’re lucky you might see one!

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South Australia island of Penguins

Off the coast of Victor Harbor lies an island called West Island that has recently seen a spike of penguins in the past few years. This cannot be accessed but Big Duck Tours offer Victor Harbor boat tours that take you between the islands of this coastline. With some binoculars and a bit of luck you might be able to spot a little penguin on this South Australian Island.

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Yorke Peninsula Penguins

Althorpe Islands off of Yorke Peninsula is even home to a small colony of Little Penguins. Not easy to access and maybe not even recommended but it’s still worth adding to the list of penguin colonies in South Australia.

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Flinders Chase National Park Penguins

Flinders Chase on Kangaroo Island had “thousands” of little penguins inhabiting the shorelines and the current number is unknown but this could be a safe bet to search for the Fairy Penguin on Kangaroo Island.

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Spencer Gulf Penguin Colony

Fairy penguins can be seen on Lipson Island, located on the Spencer Gulf. There are also small colonies on Goose Island, Louth Bay, Thistle Island, Wedge Island and sightings on Wardang Island (which was formely the largest colony in the Spencer Gulf).

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Penguins on South Australian Private Island

Troubridge Island is a private island that requires a permit to access and was formally home to around 6000 fairy penguins. The colony numbers have been declining but due it being a private island off of Edithburgh, Yorke Peninsula, not many people can disturb these South Australian Fairy Penguins.