Calling all Manly penguins

Mysteries, legends and intrigues abound in Australia, from lost gold and unsolved crimes, to disappearances that captivated the nation and spine-tingling bush tales.

Now for a new one.

Where are Manly’s Little Penguins? Have they been birdnapped? Gone into hiding? Were they only ever a figment of our collective imagination?

Drop in to the Manly Visitor Information Centre and you’ll find them immortalised as cute little keepsakes with names like Phillip, Phoenix and Pingu. A hike along the Manly Scenic Walkway depicts them in street art form serving as a warning to dog owners to leash their canines for fear of them killing these captivating little creatures. An online search yields articles and images, statistics, sightings and stories.

But IRL? Not much at all. Sadly.

Disappointed at having to break the unfortunate news to many a Happy Feet-seeking visitor, we decided to investigate all things Eudyptula minor – that’s the scientific name of the Little Penguin, smallest of all penguins at only 30-35cm in height and about 1kg in weight – in an attempt to hopefully locate our missing friends.

The news we have for you is good … and bad.

So let’s start with the good news – the Little Penguins are still here!

The bad news? They are very shy. So while they were once quite visible around Manly Cove – swimming, fishing and making their sunset shuffle up the beach – sightings today in these populated areas are infrequent due to them moving from this high-traffic area to more far-flung and inaccessible regions.

Our population of penguins is also very small and seriously under threat from foxes, dogs, cats, pollution, boat strike, and human disturbance of nesting areas through gardening and other vegetation-clearing practices.

Just one hungry fox can decimate the population – back in 2015 a fox was responsible for killing a staggering 27 of our local penguins – a big contributor to the current fragile situation.

At last count we had only about 21 breeding pairs, considered below the number needed to sustain the population.

So while Phillip Island in Victoria abounds with Little Penguins and has built an entire tourism industry around them, here in Manly our focus is on supporting and protecting them.

That’s why we have dedicated Penguin Wardens within the National Parks and Wildlife Service who volunteer their time and plenty of emotion to looking after our little population – monitoring their habitats to ensure they are free of animal predators and human interference, and educating the public about behaviours that put this population at risk.

Their great work was on show recently when we happened upon Penguin Warden Co-ordinator Murray Sharp and colleagues sitting in wait in Fairlight for a Little Penguin displaying an injury, with the aim of taking it for medical treatment.

So what do the wardens advise those seeking the Little Penguins?

Love them all you like – but do it from afar. In this way, you will be doing your part in caring for these cute creatures with the heart-warming little waddle.

So if you can’t see them in the feather, why not check out the Penguin Wardens’ Instagram – @friendsofmanlypenguins – for updates, information and images … and the rare general public sighting.

And remember, sometimes when you stop looking, things can have a way of finding you – or if they don’t, you can always buy your own little Pingu Penguin from us at the Information Centre!