[New Zealand] Wonderful moment: watching the sunrise with little penguins

In the early morning in Moeraki, you are stuck in the light blue mist, waiting for the sun to slowly wake up this quiet little village. Even though I only slept three or four hours a night, I immediately got up at five o'clock in the morning with the ringing of the alarm clock. This was the last day of my trip along the coastline of New Zealand's South Island. Tonight, I had to bid farewell to the days of living by the sea. Entering the territory of the Southern Alps.

The outdoor air was cold and sweet, as if I had a huge mint in my mouth. It made me feel energetic. I didn’t want to waste any second, so I immediately drove towards the beach. The three days of coastal travel were all cloudy and rainy. Not only did we not see the sunrise or sunset, but we also lacked the graceful light to help us. Even the photos were eclipsed. I really hope that today’s sunshine can break through the dark clouds and give the departing travelers a warm memory.

I had wandered around Moeraki the night before and knew that on the way to the Moeraki Yellow-eyed Penguin Observation Point, there was a piece of grassland facing east, where someone had built a simple bench out of dead wood, as if it was specially designed for watching the sun. It was a romantic prospect. Seeing an orange strip of light appearing between the sea and the sky, the sunrise was imminent. I followed the path in the weeds and hurried to the bench.

Before I could stop, the scene in front of me almost made me gasp in surprise, someone was already on the bench next to me! No, they are two cute little yellow-eyed penguins. They are strolling leisurely among the long grass, facing the east, as if they are watching the sunrise!

Yellow-eyed penguins are extremely rare birds in New Zealand and are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. There are only more than 4,000 in New Zealand. They live in the bushes by the sea, go out to sea in the early morning to look for food, and return to their hidden nests to spend the night in the evening. On the Otago Peninsula, observing yellow-eyed little penguins is also a famous tourist hotspot. Little penguins are timid and shy. In order not to disturb them, the observation point is either built on a cliff so that they can be viewed from a distance; or a tunnel is dug near the nest and covered with a bunker. People walk into it and watch through the bunker in the evening. Observe penguins returning to their nests. I didn't include the Penguin Conservation Center in my itinerary, but I didn't expect to encounter the little yellow-eyed penguins at such a wonderful moment.

Either because the environment in the early morning was too comfortable, or because we immediately held our breath and slowed down, the little yellow-eyed penguins were not panicked by our appearance. Perhaps, few people set foot here usually. Every day, The little penguins will walk on the grass and soak up the morning sunshine.

There are many wonderful moments in a person's life that can only be encountered but cannot be sought. At this time, I was in such happiness. Where the sea and the sky met, a red sun burst out, and the golden sunshine instantly filled the sea and covered the grass. It was also coated with a light warm color. Two little yellow-eyed penguins stood side by side and suddenly fluttered their wings in the wind. The beach that was quiet and silent a minute ago seemed to be instantly enchanted and glowed with a fairy tale-like strange brilliance!

I really hope that I have a wonderful pen that can describe the atmosphere of that moment more accurately. Fortunately, there are video records that can save my pale words. During the few minutes of sunrise, I pressed the shutter frantically, wanting to preserve this wonderful moment for as long as possible.

As the sun gradually rose, the little penguins seemed to be ending their morning walks and turned around one after another. The sunshine did not resist the clouds that had accumulated for three days in the South Pacific, and it lost its momentary splendor and became gray. Powerless, as if the curtain was slowly closing and the protagonist turned away. Only me, as an audience, was still immersed in the exciting plot and couldn't extricate myself for a long time!

April 25th is World Penguin Day. Here is an updated article about a magical encounter with a little penguin, so that we can experience the beauty of animals and nature with everyone. Let us think about it for half a minute, what else can we do to allow the cute penguins to continue to live freely on this planet?