Penguin Island

While Penguin Island is most famous for its little penguins, it also offers plenty of outdoor activities. After you’ve attended one of the three daily ranger-led penguin feedings in the Discovery Centre, you can wander along trails and check under boardwalks and wooden stairs for hiding penguins. If you’d prefer a marine adventure, take part in a guided kayak or glass-bottom boat tour for a chance at seeing local dolphins up close.

• Wear comfortable footwear, a hat, and sunscreen, and bring swimwear and towel if you plan on getting in the water.

• The Boats can get cold in the sea breeze, even in the summer. Bring a warm, weather-proof jacket.

• There are no shops or cafes on Penguin Island, so be sure to bring your own food and drinks or purchase some from Pengos Café before you leave the mainland.

• Penguin Island has a strict “no touch or take” policy when it comes to flora and fauna. Leave all items where you find them, stick to wooden boardwalks or beaches, and don’t touch or feed the wildlife.

• Strollers and standard wheelchairs are welcome on the ferry and the glass-bottom boat.

Penguin Island is located about 45 minutes south of Perth. Drivers can park for free on site or at the nearby Safety Bay Bowling Club. To reach the launch site via public transport, take the Mandurah line train from Perth to Rockingham, catch the 551, 552, or 553 bus to Penguin and Watts Road, and walk along the beach to the Penguin Island shop, where ferry tickets can be purchased. Do not attempt to cross the sandbar on foot. Ferries to the island leave every hour.

Penguin Island is open every day of the week, subject to weather, from September 15 until early June. The island is closed on Christmas Day. While the island is closed in the winter (during the nesting season), the Penguin Island Wildlife Cruise continues to sail around the island every day, weather permitting.

If you’re hungry to see more of the local wildlife around Perth, head to the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA). The family-friendly attraction is home to species from all across Western Australia’s 7,500-mile (12,000-kilometer) coastline, ranging from coral to colorful fish to sharks. Kids can enjoy workshops and play areas, while adventure seekers can go diving among the aquarium’s sharks, stingrays, and turtles.