All year-round this has to be one of the most pleasant and frequently visited places in Melbourne. It's home to a colony of Little Penguins that originated from Phillip Island. The penguins go out to sea before sunrise and after spending the day out feeding on fish, they return just after sunset to the safety of the wildlife area of the breakwater. It's a very popular and great experience to watch them waddle in and make their way into their habitat nests between the huge bluestone rocks of the breakwater. The best viewing time is about 30 minutes after sunset and while photography is permitted, flash photography is not. Keep in mind that, especially during the summer, it can get very crowded as everyone wants the box seat to see these vulnerable yet ever so cute little fellows. Entry is free!

The pier is closed. You can walk to the front, but it's not the best place to see Pinguins. We saw something moving on the stones but ,out could not really see if those were Pinguins.

Closed until at least mid 2024. You won't be able to see the penguins.

Please make sure you do not use flash to take pictures as it hurts the eyes of the penguins. The penguins generally start to come out around as the sun is setting. It's a public area and free for all to visit. You'll need to park nearby and then walk towards the breakwater area. It gets insanely crowded so you might want to come earlier. The sunset view from here is amazing btw.

We were quite skeptical if we will get to see the penguins the day we visited as it was raining continuously.As we reached it was about to be dark.There were few penguins hiding under the rocks.And trust me as it grew darker and darker up came more and more penguins from under the rocks and from the sea.So please wait patiently until it gets dark completely.You will definitely get to see many many of them Such cute creatures and so adorable.But just don't block their way for pictures and switch the flash off of your cameras or phones.It was a memorable sight and experience for us to see penguins in wild and in close proximity in their natural habitat.

Don't bother going as it is shut. The only thing to see are the drunks walking around harassing tourists

We were able to spot many cute penguins.. my parents were so happy and excited..plus go during the time of sunset..it's beautiful! Sunset + penguins sighting.. nice way to spend your evening peacefully.. kudos to volunteers ?? , who manage the crowd.. please do follow the instructions given by them... Never ever try to get near to the penguins .. they're scared of people. Enjoy!

This was my first time at st kilda beach! A beautiful scene while you walk on the pier. A great spot for photos

It is wonderful to see the little/blue-eyed penguins in nature! Some of the guides are very kind, others are suffering to repeat the rules: Don't go to close & only red light is tolerated so no flash when taking pictures or videos. Hopefully people follow the rules so that more people can see the penguins themselves.

Waited for almost 3 hours along with hundreds of other spectators only to see a handful of penguins. Did not turn out as many as what I've expected apparently. I might have come at a bad time though. There were plenty of signage around reminding observers not to use flash when taking photos yet a lot of spectators did not follow, which might have contributed to the penguins not coming out. Located a few hundred metres off the beach and even if it was summer, it was freezing during the night. You might want to bring something to keep you warm.

Kilda is a beauty! You can see penguins and rainbows and sunsets. Try to be there slightly early just before sunset to catch a good spot. Do not hover around penguins, see them taking a dip and chit chatting with their friends. No flash is the rule to stay and click here.

Top spot to see penguins, we saw lots of penguins. About 30 minutes after sunset. You could have stayed much longer. Completely free, only the journey from Melbourne cost.

We visited the pier at around 7pm. The penguin colony is at the end of the pier and we saw at least 7-8 penguins that are on the rocks and the occasional penguins to cross the road. It’s a delightful experience to see them up close. However, there is no touching or feeding allowed and there are several volunteers to keep watch over the penguins.

Well 🐧 are closed for now until mid 2024 while they do a redevelopment for them. We heard them but you can not see them close up at present to take photos.

A geat place in the early evening, to go searching for the penguins.

Views of the beach, sea and city are amazing day or night.

Awesome place. Though got a nice surprise catching up with these cuties

Every night, as of 9 p.m., you can see penguins on the beach or on the rocks. If you don't mind being with 100 other people, it is a pretty cool thing to do (especially if you know it's free)!

Lovely cool walk, one small penguin sighting!

Great way to end a day, getting some dinner at one of the many restaurants in St Kilda, and then catching the sunset at the foreshore. Bring a sweater as it gets cold when the sun sets. There are trams you can take to the foreshore, and then back to the city. Worth taking time to relax amidst the bustle of Melbourne.

You will not see many penguins down here and you will get limited view depending on where you are but you will still get to see two or three at least. Worth going down here for the sunset though alone and treat the penguins as a bonus. I would say don't go down till sunset time. I went an hour before and we just ended up being cold and the penguins didn't come out till sometime after sunset!

Patrick.17

Lovely spot. We had lunch and were lucky enough to see 3 penguins swimming for their lunch. Delightful. We were unable to stay for a night viewing but hear its lovely to see the penguins come ashore..

Great experience overall. The penguins come around 30 minutes after sunset and there are a lot of them that come. Plenty on opportunity to see heaps of penguins. There is also several people around wearing high visibility jackets and red lights to help you find any penguins in the dark and answer and questions you have. Considering all you need to do is walk a bit up the pier and you can just see so many penguins up close I would say it's definitely worth the visit

A nice place to have a peaceful evening or for a sun bath 😛😛

The government website said come and see the penguins! So after a big drive I discovered that the section of the breakwater where you can see the penguins is closed until further notice. Be careful before going to see if you can find out when it will open again. The official website doesn't mention the shut down.

My favorite beach in Melbourne. Much better than Bondi beach in Sydney. When I move to Sydney, so memorize the st kilda beach

We went at around 30 mins after sunset but only managed to see a few penguins coming back. the rest already secretly hide under the stone. But they are cure and not scare of human. Cant forget the cold too.

Cute little penguins

A spot not to miss if you are in Melbourne

(Translated by Google) There is a wide open view. Surfboarders also feel relaxed. It was also nice to see the penguins up close. (Original) 넓고 탁 트인 시야가 좋네요. 서핑보드 타는 사람들도 여유롭게 느껴지고요. 펭귄을 가까이 볼 수 있는 점도 좋았습니다.

Surprised to see penguin

Very peaceful and less crowded with a beautiful view ?

(Translated by Google) Loved it (Original) Amei

Adorable penguins without having to go to Phillip Island!!

Serene

This was a great experience, watching the little penguins come ashore, they didn't start arriving until about 30mins after sunset but get there early it gets pretty busy. Enjoy the sunset the views are fantastic.

Really unique place to visit in Melbourne. Penguins generally arrive after the sunset. In summer, usually after 9 pm, penguins arrive at the beach. Nearby there are restaurant. Easily accessible with public transport.

It's super relaxing, I went with my beloveds and we enjoyed the fresh air - we call it "ionizing air", which it pretty much is, all that amazing fresh sea salt and good vibes only freshness. Pretty close to heaven!

Waited for 30 minutes in the cold summer night, only to be met by the most adorable sight a human can ever lay eyes on. Wild penguins coming back from a day of swimming and fishing. A lot of people come out, but with patience, everyone gets a look at the penguins waddling around like it's nobody's business.

This place is a must-see. I thought I needed to get there before dusk, but the penguins didn't come out until well past sunset. It was chilly, even in December, so wear a jacket at least. I was there midweek, and the crowd wasn't bad.

I wish this would be more prominent on Melbourne tourism outlets; nobody I've talked to from the US knows about this. Two words: Wild. Penguins. They live, waddle, eat, and scream here and it's so fun to see them just exist in a natural setting, for free. There are even rangers there to tell you about them and their behavior! How cool! Totally recommend visiting.

Put this place on our list without expecting to see wild penguins. To our surprise, the little penguins show up quite regularly and it’s easy to see them with the volunteers red torch light (this doesn’t hurt them). The volunteers take excellent care of them reminding visitors not to go too near to them tirelessly! They are so knowledgeable and can answer any penguin questions you have. This is a great place to enjoy the sea breeze, hear the crashing waves and little penguin cooing.

Great location to spot starfishes during day. Not sure if those were dead or alive. You can spot fishes too. Lot of people were fishing when I went. A bit crowded place though. Penguin spotting section was closed. You can find fish scales allover the place which should mean that people are actually catching fishes. Lot of coffee shops around if you want to grab a coffee.

Nice views

Panoramic views of Bay and City Skyline

Amazing to see the penguins

Very scenic and calming.

Love its beauty

Visit the cute grumpy penguins here at night. ?

Break wall is shut. A good walk on the pier though

(Translated by Google) Nice beach with lots of bars (Original) Schöner Badestrand mit vielen Lokalen

Nice pier, good views from the city

I frequently visit this place to say HI to these little fellas, I take new people there and they love it.

Fab place

Nice place to be, very relaxing and family friendly

Nice penguins

Beautiful views..

Great and got to see the penguins

A nice evening getaway..

Penguins!

Mind blowing

Beautiful sea Waves cool breeze Kiteboarding viee