A rarity seen.
17 September 2019 | Curio Bay, The Catlins, NZ
Maggie
Curio Bay in the Catlins is where we are calling home tonight. It is absolutely gorgeous here and I wish it wasn't so dadgum cold and windy!!!!
The huge waves of the Pacific are crashing onto the rocky ledge below in a spectacular demonstration of their power which makes me so happy to have my feet on solid ground.
Each campsite is surrounded by a hedge of flaxseed for privacy and pretty.
The bay itself is somewhat protected and the white, sandy beach goes on for miles.
At 6pm, after Nev beat me in a game of Hand and Foot, we bundled up warmly and walked over to the rocks behind us in search of the ever elusive and shy yellow eyed penguin, the rarest penguin in the world, with only 300 breeding pairs remaining on mainland NZ.
We were SO lucky to see TWO of them coming out of the water.
They made their way across the rocks to the grass where they make their nests and return each day to feed their babies after a day at sea looking for food!
They were a ways away so no photos on my phone but I think I got some good ones on my big camera - some things are just meant to be clicked to memory!
80% of these fledglings will die during their first year at sea.
Marine predators cause a high rate of injury to the adults too.
Food scarcity can cause starvation. At this protected area the rangers keep a close eye on the population and will rescue and feed them if necessary.
So glad for this rare experience.