Victoria's Phillip Island seashore has hosted the very best variety of little penguins in 54 years in what one scientist referred to as a "penguin celebration".
Some 5219 little penguins swum into shore at Phillip Island and waddled up the seashore to their burrows in only one hour on Tuesday, Might 3, marking the very best quantity recorded there since 1968.
The record-breaking occasion got here as a shock, with the biggest numbers of penguin crossings normally occurring through the peak of breeding season in November and December.
"We could not imagine our eyes when greater than 5000 penguins got here out of the water in lower than an hour," Phillip Island Nature Parks' scientist Paula Wasiak mentioned.
"It has been a penguin celebration evening after evening, which is uncommon for this time of yr, not to mention in report numbers like we're seeing now."
Between 3000 and 5000 penguins got here in each different evening final week, with as many as 4500 counted on one week the evening prior.
The common variety of penguins who burrowed on the seashore every evening final yr ranged from round 700 in July to 2300 in November.
Wasiak mentioned it appeared that an abundance of meals near shore was permitting the penguins to gear up for the most important Autumn breeding try ever seen.
"Whereas penguins normally breed throughout spring and summer time, older, extra skilled birds are recognized to make the most of a secondary peak in marine productiveness in autumn, which can lead to a rise in colony attendance and breeding behaviour."
She mentioned work to enhance the dune construction and restore the habitat following erosion on the seashore had additionally doubtless contributed to the rise in penguins visiting.
Phillip Island's colony of about 40,000 little penguins is the biggest on the planet.
Guests pack stands by the seashore to observe the penguins arrive every evening, with the parades have been booked out each evening through the Easter faculty holidays.
Why this emperor penguin colony has almost disappeared