Be Prepared!
November 12, 2025
When visiting Oamaru (or anywhere, really) you should always be prepared for the unexpected. Today I was out by the Oamaru Penguins to look at the kekeno or New Zealand fur seals that often spend the day sleeping on the rocks when someone said they saw a penguin. It is not uncommon for visitors to Oamaru to see penguins that are not actually penguins–we have had guests show us photos of “penguins” that were actually shags, or even seagulls, so I was fully expecting this to be a false alarm. But no! It was an actual blue penguin coming in from the Pacific and bounding around on the rocks. I had my camera with me, fortunately, and captured the image here (and quite a few more!). So when you’re out and about you never know what you might see, so be ready for anything!