Penguin Island

The lease on our car ended this week (in fact they came and picked it up today) so last weekend we decided to take it for one last day trip out of town.  We chose to drive south and visit Penguin Island.  In summer time you can walk on the island and see the penguins, but evidently winter is their breeding season so the island is closed.  There was a boat tour, however, that takes people around the three islands in the area and points out wildlife, etc.  So we went for it.

Waiting for the boat to board was made less painful by a fun playground (I asked Eliot to put the hands at three o'clock, and he did)...

...and a nice little beach area.

Nevertheless, the boys were anxious to get going.

The boat had windows in the floor so that you could watch for any marine life underneath the surface.

Mostly bubbles.

As the boat got going Peter settled in for a cuddle.

Apparently this area was once dry land and covered in a forest of Tuart trees.  The stringy texture of the rock is the fossilized root system.  Pretty cool.  In the centre of this picture you can sort of make out a somewhat cylindrical shape; that's a petrified tree trunk.

Just enjoying the water and the sun.

Peter had all sorts of observations to make.

The ride was a bit rocky, Yellow Bear needed a snuggle.

Though we didn't spot any penguins (which, our guides informed us, are hard to spot at the best of times) we did come across a few sea lions basking in the sun, and of course there were plenty of pelicans.  One of the islands has the largest penguin rookery in the world.  I've decided I really like pelicans.  They're just so massive and they look so graceful and majestic as they sail calmly over the water.

Eliot snapped many, and I mean many, pictures with my camera.  This was one of his best.  He really caught the sparkle of the water.