The day was ending, but we weren't ready to settle in for the night just yet. So, as the sun was setting, we caught a ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, a suburb of Sydney. It was our first time on this commuter ferry, which felt more like being on a cruise ship. We watched the sunset over the Harbour Bridge and we felt entirely transported. But, I'm about to get to the best part--fairy penguins! We were on a mission to spot these little creatures and we did. We almost took a long walk in the dark through the bush to Collins Beach when a lovely Australian woman working at a bookshop told us to skip that (whew!) and head back to the wharf. We weren't sure if these penguins really existed, but one guide book and the woman at the store insisted. These penguins are tiny and they are typically sighted at dusk when the males return from their long day fishing. How they find their way back to that tiny spot of sand is a mystery to us. The male has to dry off before he's allowed to reenter the nest and that's why we had a chance to spy these little guys out in the open. Hearing them argue with their partners was pretty incredible. We imagined the female penguin squawking, "You can't come in yet. You need to dry off more!" Finally one of the penguins we saw squeezed between the boardwalk planks and settled in for the night (no getting on a ferry for him). Incredible! Then we warmed up over dinner at Garfish (fantastic food) and then with hot chocolate in the ferry terminal.
This was one spot where we saw three penguins, two hanging out in the dark space between the rocks and another chirping and walking over the boulders. So small, so beautiful.
Look closely in the upper left corner and you can see a blurry image of Mr. Silverwing, the penguin that lives closest to the ferry terminal. No flash allowed, as were reminded by the penguin wardens... Adam and I are putting in an application to be volunteer penguin wardens. Someone's gotta look out for the little guy.
