Two of Eden’s newest (and smallest) residents seen making their home near Wheel Cove. Photo: Little Penguins Eden Facebook.
It starts with a WhatsApp message.
Once a week, members of a South Coast wildlife conservation group make their way to a small bay near Eden, checking on one of the region’s littlest residents.
“I work out which night’s good, and then whoever wants to come can come,” says Wendy Noble, chairperson of Friends of Little Penguins Eden.
“We do a quick count to see the penguins coming and a quick count to make sure the numbers are sustaining themselves.”
Eden had a breeding colony at Twofold Bay, but the population became extinct in the 1990s.
The group is leading recovery efforts to restore the population, with support from Bega Valley Shire Council, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Port Authority of NSW.
They are overseeing breeding pairs at Wheel Cove, as well as a nearby population.
It follows the 2023 hatching of the first chick in Eden’s Wheel Cove in 30 years.
“We’re very excited, because we’re pretty sure that penguins are back to stay,” she says.
A solar-powered speaker system beaming out recorded penguin calls set the soundtrack, calling the penguins to the area as they swam in nearby waters.
Ms Noble says this was key because it made the seabirds think their fellow penguins were already enjoying the coastal town.
“Eventually, they check it out one year, then the next year they decide, ‘Yeah, yeah, we’ll nest here’.
“I thought the project would take at least 10 years to get any penguins back, but it’s been very successful.”
To help the penguins, the Friends of Little Penguins Eden created artificial nests that protected against goannas trying to steal the chicks.
“They’re made out of cement … They were designed specifically for Eden.”
Ms Noble says there’s hope the penguins are “back to stay”. Photo: Friends of Little Penguins Eden.
Ms Noble and her group (made up of conservationists, scientists and volunteers) have identified a dozen penguins making a nest near Eden.
While there was early success at a Wheel Cove site, she says they encouraged them to use a different site that avoids some of the summer heat.
“Since the start of this season – which began in roughly May and June – when they start courting, we’ve ended up with six nests,” she says of the second site.
“It doesn’t mean that Wheel Cove isn’t important, so that site will still be monitored. We’ve got five artificial nests down there, hoping that they’ll use those.”
Even though the number of little penguins in Eden is growing, the population isn’t completely safe – foxes have killed two penguins so far this year.
Ms Noble says that while their 1.5-kilogram weight is a good sign there’s enough food around (it means they were slightly larger than usual), the kills were worrying.
Friends of Little Penguins Eden is planning to install more fencing around the nesting sites in a bid to keep the seabirds safe from foxes, cats and other threats.
“Without a fence or a physical barrier, their population cannot expand beyond what it is now … Unfortunately, there are too many predators.”
She also says the Friends of Little Penguins Eden group is always keen to hear from people wanting to get involved.
Bega Council’s coastal management officer Rachel Duczynski says there are steps the rest of the community can take to help protect the penguins.
“Simple actions make a big difference,” Ms Duczynski says.
“Keep dogs on a leash near the coast, bring cats indoors at night and if you spot a penguin, please enjoy from a distance and give it space.”
For more information on Friends of Little Penguins Eden’s efforts or to get involved, visit its website.
