Flash photography, torches and other bright lights, climbing on the rocks and touching or feeding the penguins are all prohibited. Watch quietly from behind the railings of the viewing boardwalk and give the penguins space to move freely below you.
Penguin guides are on hand during viewing sessions to answer questions, so feel free to ask them anything about the colony.
The viewing experience at St Kilda Pier is built to balance public enjoyment with wildlife protection. Visitors get a clear view of the colony, and the penguins get a quiet, dimly lit breakwater to come home to each night. Volunteers with many years of experience continue to monitor the health of the colony.
St Kilda Penguin Viewing Experience
The 150-metre elevated viewing boardwalk at the end of St Kilda Pier looks down over the rocky breakwater that shelters the colony. It keeps visitors at a safe distance from the nests, uses wildlife-friendly lighting, and gives wide views across Port Phillip Bay as daylight fades.
Guides share stories, natural history and conservation messages during each session. It’s a rare chance to watch wild penguins in the middle of a capital city.
Session 1: sunset arrival
The first session starts at sunset. As the light goes, small groups of penguins gather in the water and then come ashore, hopping onto the rocks and making their way to their nests after a full day at sea. For many visitors, watching those first birds emerge is the highlight of the night.
Session 2: night-time colony life
The second session runs after dark, when the breakwater fills with the chatter of penguins settling in for the night. Birds call to their partners, shuffle between the rocks and preen before turning in, so it’s the better session for social behaviour than for arrivals.
What to expect and how to prepare
Sessions run nightly and last about an hour. The end of the pier can be cool and breezy, so bring an extra layer, and pack a raincoat if rain is forecast. Binoculars are welcome and help at dusk.
To protect the penguins’ eyes and natural behaviour, torches aren’t permitted and camera flashes must stay off the whole time.
📍 St Kilda Pier, Pier Rd, St Kilda VIC 3182
🎫 Free, but bookings are essential
Session times change with sunset. The sessions are run by Phillip Island Nature Parks, and tickets are booked through its website (penguins.org.au).
When Is the Best Time to See the Penguins?
The penguins come ashore after dark every night of the year, so viewing sessions run year-round. Session times follow the sunset: early in the evening in winter and much later in summer.
What you see changes with the breeding calendar. Courtship and nest re-forming run from late July to October, eggs are laid from August to early November, and chicks hatch between September and December, so spring and early summer are the busiest months on the breakwater. Each summer, adults also go through a moult of about two weeks, when they can’t go to sea and stay ashore living off stored fat.
Numbers vary from night to night, so every session is a little different.
How to Get There
Trams 12, 16 and 96 stop at St Kilda Pier and can all be caught from the Melbourne CBD. You can also take a train to Balaclava station and a short ride on the route 16 tram.
Driving is possible, but only limited paid parking is available next to the St Kilda Sea Baths and along the main roads, so public transport is usually easier, especially on warm weekend evenings.
Once you arrive, walk out along St Kilda Pier to the viewing boardwalk at the far end.
Accessibility
The rebuilt St Kilda Pier was designed with a wider, disability-compliant walkway, and the penguins are watched from an elevated boardwalk rather than from the rocks, so there’s no climbing involved. Assistance dogs are welcome in Parks Victoria parks.
If you have specific access needs for a viewing session, mention them to Phillip Island Nature Parks when you book.
What to Bring
- A warm, windproof layer. The end of the pier is exposed to the bay breeze.
- A raincoat if there’s any chance of rain.
- Binoculars, if you have them.
- Your booking confirmation.
Leave the torch at home, because torches aren’t permitted at the viewing area. Keep phone screens dim and your camera flash switched off.
Photography Rules
The most important rule is no flash photography of any kind. That includes phone flashes, camera flashes, video lights and the focus-assist lamps many cameras fire in low light. Bright light startles penguins and disturbs them at their nests.
Non-flash photography is fine, but the light is very low, so expect grainy shots unless your camera handles high ISO well. The best photos come from staying still and letting the penguins settle.
Don’t fly drones near the pier or breakwater. A drone overhead can frighten the colony.
What to Expect at the Viewing Area
Give your eyes a few minutes to adjust once you reach the boardwalk. The lighting is deliberately low so it doesn’t disturb the penguins, and you’ll spot far more once your night vision kicks in.
Penguins come ashore in small groups, pause at the water’s edge, then make their way up into the rocks. Listen for their calls from inside the breakwater, where adults greet their partners and chicks from the nest cavities.
How to Behave Around the Penguins
- Watch from behind the railings, and never touch, feed or try to approach a penguin.
- Speak softly. Loud voices can unsettle the penguins.
- Keep all rubbish with you and take it home.
- Dogs are allowed on St Kilda Pier on a lead, but dogs, cats and fishing are banned on the breakwater at all times.
- Alcohol isn’t permitted on the pier or the breakwater.
Is It Free? Do I Need to Book?
It’s free, but you do need to book. Viewing happens during free, ticketed sessions, two each evening, and each session is limited to 150 people to protect the penguins. Bookings are essential, and the boardwalk closes each night after the sessions, so book before you head out.
What If It’s Raining?
Light rain doesn’t stop the penguins coming home, so a damp evening isn’t a reason to cancel on its own. Dress for the weather, wear shoes with good grip for a wet boardwalk, and if the forecast is severe, check with Phillip Island Nature Parks for any session changes before you leave.
Found an Injured or Entangled Penguin?
Don’t try to catch or handle it. Call the Zoos Victoria Marine Response Unit on 1300 245 678, and tell a guide if you’re at a viewing session. Our penguin entanglement guide explains what to look for and how to help prevent it.
