The wildlife that we share Bruny Island with, is nothing short of unique. A stay at Adventure Bay Retreat gives you a magical opportunity to experience this wildlife at your very front door. Whether it’s spotting wallabies from the Retreat’s front porch, checking out the local seal colony, marveling at the endemic birdlife or scratching your head in wonder at the prickly echidna. Be sure to take a deep breath, and fill your heart with the incredible animals that call Bruny Island home. With so much wildlife to discover we’ve listed some of our favourite Bruny Island animal experiences.
Spotting Bruny Island’s famous white wallabies
White wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) are our favourite furry neighbours and regular visitors to Adventure Bay Retreat. You wont even have to leave the Retreat to get the opportunity to marvel at these incredible and unusual animals. White wallabies are unique to Bruny Island and are easily recognisable due to a rare genetic mutation that gives them their signatory white fur. White wallabies live in the forest areas that surround Adventure Bay Retreat and can often be seen resting during the day and eating grass, roots and leaves in the evening. They’re used to attention from humans so capturing a great photo from the back porch is easy!
Bruny Islands famous White Wallaby. Image Credit: Tourism Tasmania & Nick Osborne
Checking out Fur Seals
Commonly seen in the waters of Bruny Island, fur seals are magnificent creatures and a special part of our ocean landscape here on the Island. A colony of seals can often be spotted on rocky outcrops at the southern end of Bruny Island. A great way to view the seals is a trip on a Bruny Island Cruise where you can see them sunning their blubber and taking a break from hunting fish, squid octopus and lobster.
The magnificent Australian Fur Seal. Image Credit: Sean Scott
Gazing at Tasmania’s Endemic birdlife
Bruny Island is home to a huge variety of birdlife, including all 12 species endemic to Tasmania. With incredible birds such as the Forty-spotted Pardalote, the Swift Parrot, and the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle all calling Bruny Island home you can see why our Island is named in the top 10 bird watching sites of Australia! A great place to spot these magnificent birds is by taking a tour on Inala Private Reserve which is home to an incredible 95 different species of birds.
The impressive Wedge-tailed Eagle. Image Credit: Tourism Tasmania & Supplied Courtesy of Latrobe Council
Being amazed at spiky Echidnas
Common in Bruny Island is the short beaked Echidna. These cute, spiky mammals live in caves, burrows and under vegetation. They’re not fans of hot weather (as weirdly, they can’t sweat) and they hibernate during winter. They like to roam, and with no fixed home you may be lucky enough to spot one as you explore Bruny Island. If you do come across a Echidna they may roll into a ball or burrow into the ground, leaving only the spiky part of their body exposed – a common action whenever they feel threatened.
The very cute (and prickly) Echidna. Image Credit: Sean Scott
Marvelling at Fairy Penguins
One of Bruny Islands favourite birds – the ever-so-cute Fairy Penguin. These can be spotted at the Bruny Island Neck Reserve – which is situated between the north and the south of the Island. Fantastic boardwalks and viewing platforms in the reserve give you a great opportunity to observe the little Fairy Penguins, as well as the remarkable short-tailed shearwater birds. The best time to view the penguins is during the warmer months between September to February. There’s an interpretation board where you can learn more about the penguins, and during peak viewing times there’s a Parks and Wildlife Interpretation Guide present at dusk so you can learn even more about these incredible creatures.
Bruny Island’s Fairy Penguins. Image Credit: Tourism Tasmania & Chris Bell