I’m a bit late today because I wanted to share my takeaways from the Penguin Symposium with you. It’s an annual event with speakers sharing recent and current research about hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin; Megadyptes antipodes) and this year’s was held in Ōtepoti/Dunedin today.
We’re obviously venturing out a bit further than the garden, but hoiho do nest at nearby reserves in my wider backyard - Tavora Reserve, Kātiki Historic Reserve, and Bushy Beach Scenic Reserve.
They’re an endemic, endangered species and considered to be one of the rarest penguins in the world. They even featured on the latest episode of Endangered Species Aotearoa (currently on TV1 on Monday nights, or you can catch up on TVNZ+ - apologies to my international readers!)
I’m going to summarise my main takeaways from the day - but first, a bit about my views on the hoiho.
As many of you know, I grew up in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland… with not a penguin in sight. My first encounter was probably at the zoo, but the first one I remember was a tourist experience at Phillip Island in Australia to see the kororā (little penguin; Eudyptula minor).
One of the things I was most looking forward to about living in Te Wai Pounamu (South Island New Zealand) was exploring the landscape and discovering wildlife I’d have no chance of glimpsing in the city.
Seeing kekeno (NZ fur seal) on our drive down the coast to our new home was the highlight of our trip; caring for our unique butterfly (and moth) species in the garden has become a personal mission; waking up to a dawn chorus of birdsong is a daily pleasure and privilege.
So spotting a hoiho for the first time was incredibly exciting. My parents were visiting and we were lucky enough to see one at Bushy Beach Scenic Reserve (unfortunately, I had left my camera at home and had to make do with my phone). I saw another one there just the other day, and I’ve also seen hoiho closer to home at Kātiki Historic Reserve in Moeraki.
To me, hoiho represent the plight of wildlife in this human-centric world. They are also representative of the unique endemic fauna of Aotearoa New Zealand - hoiho are ONLY found here, from Banks Peninsula down to the sub-Antarctic Islands. Every time I see one it feels like a privilege, though often tinged with sadness at their continuing decline.
Across all the speakers - rangers, scientists, analysts, veterinarians, and Ngāi Tahu1 - some ideas were raised time & time again:
Sharing of research & resources across organisations flows freely, which is a real boon for hoiho conservation and encouraging for wildlife conservation in general.
Limited numbers mean it’s hard to draw conclusions with confidence from research undertaken.
Warming seas are a serious problem, and many penguins die from starvation due to limited foraging (recent La Niña conditions & commercial fishing have exacerbated this).
Research and conservation strategies are continually being reviewed and improved for better outcomes.
Like other areas of conservation, funding can be hard to come by despite increasingly desperate need.
Recently, respiratory disease has become the major cause of death; human disturbance (particularly tourism) is also a growing concern.
What I find encouraging is that there are many people, with a wealth of expertise and endless optimism, who are making positive changes for hoiho. As individuals (who don’t necessarily have said expertise) we can still help. Education about respecting hoiho’s habitat and space, visiting a nature reserve, and supporting the mahi (work) being done (the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust is a good place to start).
If you don’t have hoiho in your region, perhaps you could take a moment this weekend to find out what unique animals might be found near you. I’d love to hear what you discover!
Pō marie - good night,
Zenobia x
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Ngāi Tahu (alternatively Kāi Tahu) is the principal tribe of New Zealand South Island Māori. Learn more here.
What a great report! Thanks, Zenobia, for attending and giving us the rundown. We saw these magical creatures in 2015 at Katiki Point and it was a life-changing experience.
https://heidihough.substack.com/p/hoiho-yellow-eyed-penguins