The Yellow-eyed Penguin is the third largest penguin, following the Emperor and King penguins. In Maori they are called "hoiho," which means the "noise maker".

The penguin gets its name  from the yellow color around the eyes and feathers which circle the head.



 

Getting close to the penguins is forbidden. These photos were taken with a telephoto lens that enabled us to get a view "up-close." Here a pair are grooming each other. The penguins fish all day and come home early in the evening. Their nests are high above the nearby beach along a hillside. They stand about 2 feet tall and weigh about 10-13 pounds.



 

We were able, thanks to the Argo vehicle, to get fairly close to a family of seals basking on the rocks at the water's edge. Here, the bull seal is sunning his tummy, oblivious to the fact that we were nearby. Actually, we were in a small shelter. The bull can be very aggressive, and caution had to be exercised.



 

Here a rather large pup is nursing while mom is catching some rest in a rock cave.



 

At some distance from the others, these seals are sunning themselves on a rock while a sea gull stands nearby.



 

This pup seemed to be quite content as he snoozed in the afternoon sun.

Dunedin is highly regarded as a center for what is today called "eco-tourism." We applaud their efforts.