Colony survival workshop
They were the very first to offer cruises in Akaroa back in 1985 and today they offer a variety of wonderful experiences including their Akaroa Nature Cruises, along with Swimming With Dolphins in Akaroa Harbour, and trips to explore both Quail Island and Ripapa Island in Lyttelton Harbour. Many tour options to see and experience this thriving Little penguin colony with over 1200 breeding pairs include Evening penguin tour, Nature tours, Sea-kayaking safaris, Hiking or a 24-hour package with a night in the middle of the colony.īlack Cat Cruises are recognised as New Zealand’s first eco-tourism operator.
When purchasing a tour, clients have a positive input on our little Korora. Their efforts continue to be fully self-funded via Pohatu Penguins’ tours. Their work helped found the award-winning Wildside Conservation Project. Through predator trapping, monitoring, rehabilitation and immense dedication the Helps have stabilized the Pohatu Colony – and it continues to grow! In addition to their penguin conservation work the Helps family have also, for many years, protected native forests and other endemic species. Colonies around Banks Peninsula declined at an alarming rate and most disappeared altogether. These challenges included predation via introduced predators such as dogs, cats, ferrets and stoats, gill net fishing and other human disturbances.
When the Helps first began their conservation work the penguins faced massive challenges that threatened their very existence. The colony survival is accredited to Shireen and Francis Helps who have cared for the penguins for 30+ years. Pohatu Penguins is a family-run business with a long-standing history of protecting the Korora (Little Penguin).