St Kilda Pier
A genuinely wild little-penguin colony in the breakwater rocks, minutes from Melbourne's CBD.
St Kilda Pier
Around 1,400 little penguins nest in the rocks of the St Kilda breakwater, at the end of the historic pier on Port Phillip Bay — a genuinely wild colony a tram ride from the middle of Melbourne.
A new 150-metre viewing boardwalk opened at St Kilda Pier in late 2025, with free, ticketed dusk sessions run together by Phillip Island Nature Parks, Parks Victoria and the long-standing Earthcare St Kilda volunteers, who guide visitors with red torches. There are usually two sessions a night — one soon after sunset and a later one.
The boardwalk was built precisely because crowds were disturbing the nesting birds, so the single most important thing you can do is stay on it and keep white light and flash away.
All places to see penguins- Reserve a free spot through Phillip Island Nature Parks — the old 'just turn up' advice is out of date.
- No flash and no white torches — the volunteers use red light.
- A rare chance to see a wild colony free of charge, right in the city.