Walk with penguin is one reader never will forget

Photo by Steve Schoenbrun

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Yellow-eyed penguin from the penguin rehab center in New Zealand that was released into the ocean.

• By staff report
• Posted April 14, 2013

Steve Schoenbrun of Palm City visited New Zealand last year as part of a Pacific Ocean cruise. The highlight of the trip was a stroll with a unique bird. Here’s Schoenbrun’s story:
Ever walk with a yellow-eyed penguin?
My wife, Marsha, and I took a Princess cruise from Sydney to San Francisco last spring. We visited many places, but the most exciting visit was in Dunedin, New Zealand, where we booked an all-day wildlife tour.
We visited the Albatross Center and saw many wandering albatross flying and also sitting on their nests.
But the best part was a visit to the penguin rehab center. Luckily for us, a yellow-eyed penguin was to be set free, and we were invited to go along.
The penguin — which is a mid-sized penguin, about 3 feet tall, native to New Zealand — was in a cage in the back of our van. We drove to the ocean and our guide placed the cage on the sand. A worker opened the cage, and the penguin headed toward the water. After looking around for a few minutes, the bird entered the water and swam away. It was a wonderful experience for us as well as the penguin.
We have walked with hundreds of thousands of penguins all over the world, but this is a day we will never forget.

source