Sad reason Aussies are urged to stay away from Granite Island in South Australia
Tourists are being asked to avoid endangered penguins on a popular tourist island to prevent their numbers from falling further.
The ‘little penguins’ of Granite Island in South Australia are critically endangered. Their numbers have fallen by as much as 98 percent in recent years, while almost a million tourists flock to the destination every year.
Granite Island is located just off the coast of Victor Harbor in South Australia, about 80 km south of Adelaide.
Twenty years ago, Granite Island was home to 1,600 little penguins, the smallest penguin species in the world by physical size.
But the number has tragically fallen to just 30 adults in 2024.
Researchers from Flinders University have been investigating parent-offspring relationships among the island’s penguin population.
The alarming results showed that fewer interactions with humans are crucial for the survival of the vulnerable creatures.
Senior Lecturer in Animal Behavior from the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University Dr. Diane Colombelli-Negrel warned tourists to keep their distance.
The little penguins on Granite Island in South Australia are critically endangered; their numbers have fallen by as much as 98 percent in recent years
Dr. Diane Colombelli-Négrel used red-light remote video surveillance to capture never-before-seen penguin interactions
“Please ensure you practice social distancing when approaching penguin breeding grounds to minimize stress during these challenging times,” she said YahooNews.
Dr. Colombelli-Négrel used red-light remote video surveillance to capture never-before-seen penguin interactions.
She said the little penguins may be “bolder and more aggressive, in response to nest defense and intrusion” by humans.
She said that although “we found that a penguin’s boldness does not affect its performance as a parent,” the flight response can cause stress to the animals.
Granite Island is visited by 800,000 tourists every year and Dr Colombelli-Négrel urged tourists to avoid any contact with the little penguins.
“As the summer holidays approach, we urge the public to stay away from Granite Island penguin nests and help save these animals by reporting threats to their habitat,” Dr Colombelli-Négrel said.
‘Urban developments and human activities are rapidly encroaching on our natural habitat, putting many species under pressure from anthropogenic (human) disturbances.’
Locals said the decline in penguin numbers is also impacting tourism, as they were once a major draw for visitors to Granite Island
Granite Island is located just off the coast of Victor Harbor in South Australia, about 80 km south of Adelaide. 800,000 tourists visit the island every year
‘Our results… underline the importance of limiting interactions between human visitors and penguins.’
Several other factors are contributing to the decline of little penguins on Granite Island.
A major problem is predation by introduced species such as foxes and black rats.
Competition for food with other marine predators such as fur seals makes survival even more difficult for the little penguins.
Environmental changes, such as rising sea surface temperatures and reduced river outflows during droughts, are another factor.
Locals said the decline in penguin numbers is also impacting tourism, as they were once a major draw for visitors to Granite Island.
Efforts are being made to stabilize and increase little penguin numbers.
These include enhanced monitoring, overnight closures on the island and predator control programs.