Dr André Chiaradia – Penguin Biologist
Little penguins dive more deeply more often than was previously thought. This information was acquired by Dr André Chiaradia at Phillip Island Nature Park – with some help from objects the size and shape of small lipsticks.
'I like gadgets,' André admits. 'We made this discovery using tiny computers which are stuck to the back of penguins with tape. Each computer has a pressure sensor, temperature sensor and timer, and the new ones which I have been working with my colleagues from Japan also have a movement sensor. They can measure frequency of stroke, how far they dive, the amount of time they spend resting or swimming, what happens when they hit a school of fish. With this information we can track all the penguins' activities at sea.'
While André is an expert on the penguins found off Victoria's coast, he was born in the mountains of Brazil. 'Phillip Island is a good place to work as a scientist and a great place to bring up my family. I went back to Brazil in 1998 and realised that I was now too Australian to live in Brazil, but not too Brazilian to live in Australia.'
On foot
'Phillip Island is an extraordinary place for walking. All of the island's walks are moderate and you can do them with the kids so they are very family friendly. One of my favourite walks is to the top of Cape Woolamai. It is a fantastic walk on a sunny day. If you are lucky you might spot some whales passing by. I have a friend who has seen albatrosses on this walk, and to see them from land is an extremely rare experience. There is an abundance of bird life. In summertime you can walk up there in the evening and see the short-tailed shearwaters returning ashore, half-a-million birds blackening the sky as they come home. That is a fantastic sight.'
Beaches
'Phillip Island has a great variety of beaches, with ocean beach on one side of the island and bay beaches on the other. Cape Woolamai is my favourite beach. I love to walk along it, or go for a swim on a hot summer's day. I tried to learn how to surf at Smiths Beach which is also very attractive.'
Churchill Island
'On the fourth Saturday of every month there is a Farmers' Market on Churchill Island which always has nice food and local produce. Churchill Island is a historical place with the famous old Amess house, but not so famous is the pathway around the perimeter of the island. It gives a great view of Western Port and French Island, and going for a walk there and seeing the sun set over the bay is priceless. There are very old Moonah trees there, some might be 400–500 years old, and because they are so twisted they are full of natural holes and hollows so birds love to nest in them. The whole walk can be done in less than an hour.'
And of course...
'See the penguins. Phillip Island Nature Park is a special place. I sometimes think that Victorians who have grown up knowing about little penguins can tend to take them for granted. But when you see the face of someone who has never seen a penguin before, they are just amazed, their jaw drops, and I love the excitement that generates. "Look, it's a bird that walks upright and moves like a toddler!" It is a genuinely fantastic experience.'
