PENGUIN ISLAND 

Location:

The ferry and cruises depart from 153 Arcadia St Rockingham (jetty) – 40mins south of Perth.    For addtitional information, see the website.

Overview:

Penguin Island is a “lesser” known and island than Rottnest and is easily reached from Perth via the Kwinana Freeway. The island is home to a colony of fairy penguins (wild), and at the northern part of the island a growing colony of albatross (wild) as well as other birds and skinks (lizard). Getting onto the island is via a ferry ride of 10mins. The island is not very big- it will take you 20mins to walk around it. A well laid boardwalk helps you to get around without damaging the islands flora and sand dunes. Whilst the wild fairy penguins spend most of the year at sea they come back to the island to nest and malt. If you time your visit at the right time and look very carefully when exploring the island you may see them in their natural burrows. (Please pay attention to the signs and do not go where access is prohibited. This is for your own safety and to protect the island and its inhabitants).  

Getting Onto The Island :

1) A ferry runs all day from 9am – 4pm.

2) You can take your own small boat over to the island

3) Hire a kayak and paddle over  

Value For Money:

The best value for money package is the Ferry + Seal Island Glass Bottom   Boat + Penguin Discovery Centre – approx $30 per adult. This gets you to and from the island all day (ferry runs from 9am – 4pm). A ride on the glass bottom boat over to seal island, where a group of male seallions hang out. It also gets you unlimited entry into the Discovery Centre.  

Discovery Centre:

This is home to 10 orphan penguins that have been rescued that would not have survived in the wild. They are encouraging a breeding program with the idea of releasing them into the wild. 3 times per day a keeper feeds the penguins and this is great fun to watch for adults and children alike. It's also great to go into the Discovery Centre when the crowds have dispersed and just sit and quietly watch the penguins do their thing.            

Facilities:

There is no where on the island to buy food or drink and no bbq so you have two choices. Bring a picnic or get back on the ferry when you’re hungry and have lunch at the café near the jetty. The prices are very reasonable and the food is decent ( fish & chips, burgers, salad rolls etc…) The island has a drinking water fountain and public toilets.   Beaches:- In front of the Discovery Centre is the main beach with a shaded lawn area and timber tables and benches. The beach here is very sheltered and the water is shallow making it ideal for little children. At the back of the island the beaches are less crowded, more exposed and not as popular as its mainly reef .  

Snorkelling & Diving:

The back of the island defiantly provides the best snorkelling and diving with a range of coral reef, sea grasses and ledge drop offs. One of them is 20meters providing some good wall diving. Although most of it is in shallow water. As always DO NOT DIVE OR SNORKELL WITHOUT A BUDDY. The snorkelling between penguin and seal island is also good. A few little ship wrecks, grasses, reef and outcrops.  

Seal Island :

You cannot go on this island. It is illegal. You may get a rush of blood and think” why not”-   but a word of warning.If you are caught there are heafty fines, and the rangers do patrol this area. And whist the sealions will come and check you out in the water and swim around you, they are wild animals and if you go on the island they will attack you if they feel threatened. (Paul the dominant male weighs 300kg and can run at 30kms an hour).   That said you can anchor off shore (10meters) if you have a boat, and swim / snorkell in the water which is well worth it, particularly if some of the sealions decide to come and swim with you. They are very inquisitive.   Stronger swimmers can also snorkel over to the island from Penguin Island , but the same rules apply as to boats. Stay off the island and don’t enter the exclusion zone.            

Penguin Island is really a great place to visit. Whether you stay for ½ the day or the whole day, you will be glad you visited.   Wheelchair access:- There may have been disabled toilets, but didn't notice. (Sorry,  normally look for such things but was spending too much time diving). Getting and and off the ferry – via a ramp that’s level is achievable, getting into the discovery centre would also be do-able. Getting around the island is going to be a bit of a challenge however the boardwalk makes it easier. Getting around the grassed picnic area is would also be ok as the ground is fairly solid and not sandy.

Rockingham Shire has sea wheel chairs for hire.  Contact the Shire offices for more details.

Email:- council@rockingham.wa.gov.au     Ph: (08) 9528 0333