The Melbourne Zoo
Cute Little Blue Penguin

It's Open!

With large floor to ceiling viewing windows you are able to watch the swimming skills of seals and these cute penguins.

Delight in the penguin's agile diving and aquatic antics.

This may be a flightless bird but it wins the gold medal for swimming!

• The Little Blue Penguin is the smallest species of penguin.
• They can be found on the coastlines of Southern Australia and New Zealand
• Sometimes known as Fairy Penguins, these cute penguins grow to around 43cm (17inches) tall
• The male is a little larger than the female
• Their coloring is slate grey with their upper plumage areas an indigo color. Underneath is white from their chin to their belly
• They have webbed feet
• The little blue penguin has a lifespan on average of 6.5 years
• Breeding is carried out all along the entire southern coastline of Australia, including Tasmania.
• These flightless birds feed by hunting for fish, squid and other small marine animals.

  Normally they feed fairly close to shore however they have been known to travel quite substantial distances in search for food.

• Breeding begins around the age of 3 or 4 years of age
• They are monotremes(egg laying) and have a tendency to mate and remain loyal to their chosen partner for life
• The little blue penguin will choose a nesting place and return to it time and time again
• They live in small colonies
• Each breeding pair digs out a burrow and usually a pair of chicks are born
• The little blue penguins return to their nest at dusk to feed their young.

  They arrive on shore in small groups helping to protect themselves from predators

• In Melbourne, Australia their breeding ground can be found on Phillip Island

  You can book you very own Penguin Parade tour here at...

  Tours To Go - Australia's Online Booking Experts

  It really is an amazing sight to see these little blue penguins waddling up the sandy dunes. You can follow their journey right up to their burrows, sometimes they are a few inches away from you...amazing! You and your children will love the experience!

I have selected several Penguin books from

	March of the Penguins In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family. This courtship will begin with a long journey - a journey that will take them hundreds of miles across the continent by foot, in freezing cold temperatures, in brittle, icy winds and through deep, treacherous waters. They will risk starvation and attack by dangerous predators, under the harshest conditions on earth, all to find true love. Narrated by Academy Award Winner Morgan Freeman.
	Why don't Penguins feet Freeze? What time is it at the North Pole? Should you pickle your conkers? Why does my aubergine look like Elvis? Plus 111 other questions answered. "Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?" is the latest compilation of readers' answers to the questions in the "Last Word" column of "New Scientist", the world's best-selling science weekly.
	365 Penguins From the amazing success of the documentary March of the Penguins to the popular penguins in Madagascar to the penguin-themed movie "Happy Feet", penguins are everywhere! That's especially true for the family in "365 Penguins", who find a penguin mysteriously delivered to their door for every day of the year.
	The Natural World Of New Zealand Organised in an easy-to-look-up A to Z format, from albatrosses to ants, from kiwi to kea, from lakes to lizards, from weta to whales, this comprehensive encyclopaedia covers every aspect of New Zealand's magnificent natural history. An introductory section explains how New Zealand's unique natural world evolved through history and describes our major wildlife habitats.
	Penguins National Geographic's own film "March of the Penguins" put penguins on the radar of kids and adults alike. This beginning reader introduces kids to the many species of this fascinating creature, with emphasis on oddness - not hard to find! Kids will love knowing that the Emperor Penguin is the same size as they are, many penguins throw up - a lot! and Dads are a lot like Mums in the penguin world.
	Penguin Ben is delighted when he rips open his present and finds a penguin inside. "Hello, Penguin!" says Ben. Penguin says nothing. Ben tickles Penguin; he pulls his funniest face; he puts on a happy hat, sings a silly song and does a dizzy dance. "Can't you talk?" says Ben. Penguin says nothing. It isn't until a passing lion intervenes that Penguin finally speaks...and when he does, Ben discovers something that was really worth the wait...

Access is easy by public transport or you can drive and park near by.

For more information check out How to get to the Zoo

If you would like to see more little blue penguin antics and other creatures that live in the deep blue sea, visit another top Melbourne Attraction in the heart of the city The Melbourne Aquarium

A great way to save money and budget in a lot more great Melbourne Attractions to visit, is to use the Melbourne and Beyond Smartvisit Card with free entry to over 40 different venues.

Check out Tours To Go - Australia's Online Booking Experts

If you are considering staying in my beautiful hometown see below for more information on where you can stay for a comfortable yet affordable Melbourne accommodation experience

Like to travel out into the country? Why not visit these great places:

• Picnic on the mountain with Australian Native Birds
• Share your lunch with the unique Australia Fauna
• Hop along and check out the Fauna of Australia

Pop back to the Family Getaways Homepage from the little blue penguin and search out more ways to have a great time in my hometown Melbourne, Australia

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