Set your alarms for some adorable animal viewing

September 28, 2021

It’s a rite of passage for most incentive groups to Melbourne and in fact any visitor to Melbourne – a short drive to Phillip Island and see the world’s largest colony of friendly Little Penguins. 

While we can’t visit those adorable penguins right now – Phillip Island Nature Parks (PINP) is welcoming everyone from across the globe to tune in on either the Facebook page or YouTube channel to watch live for free.

At sunset (AEST) every night, the Little Penguins waddle up Phillip Island's floodlit beaches to their homes. Before coming to land, little penguins gather offshore in groups called ‘rafts’ and wait for the dusk before crossing the beach. Keep an eye out for the rafts crossing the beach together as they follow familiar tracks back to their burrow.

Breeding season is usually between August to February, so you may also catch sight of females laying eggs or have a peek at the Little Penguin Burrow Camera that PINP has set up.  We all know these times can be a little testing so it’s nice to note that Little Penguins share the load and embrace equal parenting by taking turns to incubate the eggs for the approximate 35 days until it hatches.

Unsurprisingly, the live stream has been exceptionally popular, amassing over 26 million viewers across almost 100 countries alone in 2020 since launching 25 August with an average across the entire period of around 144,000 per night.

The Little Penguins come ashore just after sunset (AEST) each night, which varies from month to month, so plan ahead and check the Penguin Arrival Calendar to get an idea of what time to tune in.

Melbourne Zoo has unveiled a brand-new and incredibly cute Otter live-stream webcam. The Zoo's four gorgeous otter pups are now being streamed online at Zoos Victoria's “Animals at Home” page, giving animal lovers of all ages a chance to observe the super-cute quartet's playtime antics. If you just can’t get enough adorable animals and want to learn more about Zoos Victoria, take a tour through a world of wildlife, right from the comfort of your home.

It’s undeniable that Australia has some of the cutest animals on the planet and Melbourne Convention Bureau has been busy creating fun animated avatar versions that can be downloaded for free and used for virtual events. Keep an eye out for these iconic Australian wildlife characters and the penguin avatar that is soon to be named.