Hands Off Point Peron

13/06/2026

Little Penguins are an important attraction to our area as well as part of our cultural identity here in Rockingham. How will we explain their extinction to future generations❓️⬇️

26/05/2026

PENGUINS AND CLIMATE CHANGE by Stephen Ambrose

Climate change increases the risk of birds being exposed to more frequent and extreme heat events during their breeding seasons. This can result in the death of chicks in the nest from hyperthermia, dehydration, starvation and abandonment by the parents. It can affect the health of adult birds, especially if food and water are scarce because of the hot conditions and they have to work harder and travel further to find these resources.

A recent study has shown that at least one population of Gentoo Penguins, the northernmost population (off the coast of Argentina) is adapting to climate change. The start of the breeding season is advancing by 2 days per year, which is reducing the number of days that nesting birds and their chicks are exposed to high temperatures (≥ 20°C).
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-gentoo-penguins-cope-climate-earlier.html

It will be interesting to see if other penguin species with northerly distributions are responding the same way. Little Penguins on Phillip Island in Victoria are currently breeding earlier and producing more chicks to independence because warmer waters are bringing shoals of anchovy closer to shore earlier in the year.

This brings me to a discussion of Rockingham's Little Penguins in WA. The Penguin Island colony has declined significantly in abundance in recent years and has largely been written off by the WA Government, which claims that this is due largely to climate change. In reality, there are multiple reasons for the colony's decline, related mostly to a range of human activities and disturbances, including human-forced climate change. If a conservation management plan for this colony is in place, reducing or avoiding many of the threats, then maybe Little Penguins there will adapt to climate change over the short-term, similar to the Gentoos in Argentina, and the colony will survive.

The challenge for all penguin species, though, is human-forced climate change will continue to heat the environment. We need to address this issue to avoid reaching tipping points that lead to the extinction of penguin species.

Over the past few decades, heat waves have become more common in several parts of the world as our planet warms. That's a huge problem for many animals, as it can lead to habitat loss and push their bodies to lethal thresholds. However, one penguin species appears to be adapting to these extreme con...

25/05/2026

📣 🐧 Penguin Fund-raiser this Saturday 30th May Safety Bay Yacht Club 5:30 - 9:30. All Welcome 🐧 ⬇️ 🐧

LESS THAN 2 WEEKS TO GO . GRAB YOUR TIX SOON... Hiya folks! Come and join us again for a wonderful night of community, connection, awesome acoustic music , sharing of food, and to raise some money for our decimated little penguin population at penguin island.
We have a stellar lineup of local talent this time with -

STRUMDRUM - a duo with a mix of acoustic guitar, drums, didgeridoo, and keyboards. A unique high energy , high vibe performance of 60's , 70's covers, powerful original songs, and improvisation to get your foot tapping and your body dancing. Consisting of Al Muir & Dan Warren, two artists with international and national touring, songwriting and producing experience. With soaring vocals, dynamic percussion, and superb guitar work. Songs of love, hope, high vibration, 'spiritual protest' songs. Songs that speak to the heart and soul. And ways of the world. The duality of our human existence. With passion and emotion.
* ASHLEA REALE - digs deep into Western Australia’s blood-soaked past, unearthing stories of murder, mutiny, and the ghosts that still linger on our coast. With a voice that cuts through like desert wind and songs steeped in grit and truth, Ashlea brings a raw and haunting energy to her dark folk storytelling. Her shows feel like a campfire confession meets a true-crime ballad — intimate, eerie, and full of soul. More than a musician, Ashlea Reale is a storyteller for the lost and the curious, giving voice to the forgotten and the damned.

* JUPITER'S TREE - are a Perth based duo with an ethos of "music for the soul". Consisting of Jason Johns also known as JJ Moon on guitars and vocals and Kevin Hume on Bass and Keyboard.
Original music telling stories across the spectrum of experiences and emotions, speaking to the soul, from the soul, for the soul.

This event supports local musicians and helps raise funds for awareness and influencing govt decision making regarding our little penguin population. Approximately 50% of ticket sales , plus raffle funds on the night go to Hands Off Point Peron Community group specifically for pamphlets, social media campaigns, and email campaigns to local politicians. The rest covers hall hire, p.a hire etc, and a relatively small amount for the musicians to cover their costs.
What to bring / expect - A great night out with a friendly, high vibe atmosphere. Children most welcome
Please bring a plate of food to share with everyone. Its wonderful to share delicious food with each other.
Bring any nibblies and drinks you wish to have.
Tables and chairs will be set up with an area at the front for those who want to boogie.
Support workers who want to bring clients will be given free entry.
Doors open 530pm. Please arrive by 6pm if possible to enjoy our first act.
Thank you for your support .
https://events.humanitix.com/acoustic-vibes-by-the-sea-3

09/05/2026

DISAPPEARING SEAGRASS 🌱🌊🌱
Why are the seagrass meadows in Cockburn Sound, Shoalwater Bay and Warnbro Sound disappearing?

There are many probable reasons including ocean pollution from industry, waste water disposal from the Pt Peron pipeline, and stormwater runoff from the land; dragging ship and boat anchors tearing up seagrass; ocean storms; sedimentation from dredging and naturally shifting sands; and possibly seagrass diseases.

Warmer ocean waters from climate change, in the form of marine heatwaves and gradual and longer-term ocean warming, also kills seagrass. While higher temperatures can affect the seagrass directly, ecologists from the Universities of Sydney and New South Wales have recently identified an indirect impact related to the microbial content of the sediment that the seagrass grows in.

Ocean warming can shape sediment microbial communities in ways that suppress seagrass performance. Higher temperatures favour sulphide-producing bacteria in the sediment and sulphide is toxic to seagrass roots, potentially suppressing seagrass growth and increasing the risk of seagrass death.

It's a clear demonstration that to fully understand the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, we need to investigate what happens microbially and on the ocean bed, as well as at higher trophic levels.

Seagrasses are often overlooked, but they are among the most important coastal habitats on Earth.

21/03/2026

TINY CRITTERS OF SAFETY BAY AND SHOALWATER BEACHES: by Stephen Ambrose

PART 6: BEACH WRACK BEETLES.

Insects you would least expect to find on sandy beaches are beetles. Let's face it, most beetles have short legs and robust body shapes that are unsuited for travelling across beach sand, especially sand within the intertidal zone. But the beach wracks (piles of beach-washed seaweed and seagrass) of Safety Bay and Shoalwater Bay, and at Point Peron, and the other tiny creatures that inhabit them, make ideal habitat and food sources for at least two groups of beetles: Beach Rove Beetles (Family Staphylinidae) and Darkling (Pie-dish) Beetles (in the family Tenebrionidae).

Beach Rove Beetles have long and slender bodies which enable them to move relatively freely through entangled material in beach wracks. They are predators of fly maggots, sandhoppers, woodlice and mites that are helping to break down the beach-washed seaweed and seagrass. They also consume fungi growing in the beach wracks. The species most commonly found on local beaches is the Whiplash Beetle (Paederus meyricki, but it is possible that species in the genus Cafius also occur there (they have been recorded at Woodman Point Beach).

The pie-dish beetle has a dish-shaped body, which protects it from predators such as spiders and scorpions. Its armour allows the beetle to tilt and cover its vulnerable parts or partially bury itself, with edges flat on the ground during a predator attack. The relatively flat body shape also aids the beetle to sandboard down sand hills and climb through beach wracks. Unlike beach rove beetles, pie-dish beetles feed on decaying organic matter in the beach wracks. Hairy-backed Pie-dish Beetles (Helea perforata) have been recorded in beach wracks on local beaches, but on rare occasions you may come across species belonging to the genus Sympetes.

The presence of these species demonstrates that communities of terrestrial invertebrates within beach wracks on beaches in and around Safety Bay are relatively complex in structure. All species interact with each other and help regulate the rates at which beach-washed seaweed and seagrass are broken down and the nutrients are returned to the marine environment.

More information on beach rove beetles:
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/132026-Paederus

More information on pie-dish beetles:
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/855021-Helea-perforata

Paederus is a genus of small beetles of the family Staphylinidae ('rove beetles'). With 622 valid species assigned by 1987 to the subtribe Paederina (Paederus and its close allies), and with all but 148 within Paederus itself, the genus is large. Due to toxins in the hemolymph of some species within...

07/03/2026

TINY CRITTERS OF SAFETY BAY AND SHOALWATER BEACHES: by Stephen Ambrose

PART 5: SAND CRABS.

Continuing on with the series about the intertidal creatures that live in the stranded banks of decaying seaweed and seagrass (beach wracks) on Safety Bay, Shoalwater Bay and Point Peron beaches, I introduce you to the sand-dwelling crabs.

There are two main crab species on these beaches: the Golden Ghost Crab (Ocypode convexa) and Common Sand Crab (Ovalipes australiensis). There are several other crab species that are found on rock substrates at Point Peron or permanently inhabit the marine environment, but the ghost crab and sand crab are truly semi-terrestrial local beach inhabitants. Walk along these beaches at night with a torch, where there is little street light spillage, and you will see these two species scurrying across the sand between beach wracks.

The Golden Ghost Crab is found only along the Western Australian coast, from Bunbury to Exmouth. It is by far the most abundant beach crab species in the Safety Bay area. They are relatively small, growing to a carapace (shell) width of 45 mm. They shelter in sand burrows above the high-tide water mark during the day, and come out at night in search of food. They are opportunistic omnivores, scavenging primarily on primarily washed-up organic matter such as seaweed and seagrass, dead fish, birds and marine debris. But they also actively hunt insects, molluscs (marine snails) and other crustaceans. Therefore, they are crucial beach cleaners and nutrient recyclers.

The Common Sand Crab (also known as the Australian Surf Crab) is found on beaches along the southern coastline of Australia from Rottnest Island on the west coast to Brisbane on the east coast. It is easy to distinguish from other local crab species because it has two dark red spots on its carapace and has paddle-like back legs for swimming. Like the Golden Ghost Crab, it lives in sand burrows in the surf zone during the day and emerges at night. However, unlike the former species it is mostly predatory, feeding mainly on molluscs, marine worms and other crustaceans. It will also feed opportunically on dead fish and other carrion on the beaches. Therefore, its dispersal across the beaches at night are limited largely to the splash zone, whereas ghost crabs can venture into dune areas. A major ecological role of this species is to help regulate the abundances of other invertebrates that may otherwise feed on decaying seaweed that is washed up on the beach.

Both crab species are also a source of food for shorebirds, especially gulls and terns. This is one reason why these bird species congregate and feed at night on the beaches. 4WD vehicles crush a lot of these crabs if they driven on beaches at night, yet another impact on the fragile intertidal ecosystem. This is an important reason why off-road vehicles should continue to be banned from Tern Island Nature Reserve and adjoining beach areas.

More information about the Golden Ghost Crab:
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/522847-Ocypode-convexa

More information about the Common Sand Crab:
https://australian.museum/learn/animals/crustaceans/surf-crab/

Ocypode convexa, commonly known as the golden ghost crab, or alternatively the western ghost crab or yellow ghost crab, is a species of ghost crabs endemic to the coast of Western Australia, from Broome to Perth. They are relatively large ghost crabs, with a carapace growing up to 45 mm (1.8 in) lon...

06/03/2026

Please use the petition link in the comments to lobby the responsible decision makers to take the following Emergency Actions

🚨🐧 Closing Penguin Island to the public for at least two years to allow undisturbed penguin breeding and recovery.

🚨🐧 Providing resources for on-water speed limit enforcement in Shoalwater Bay Special Purpose Zone (wildlife conservation) during weekends and public holidays from November to April.

🚨🐧 Funding and implementing a targeted Little Penguin Conservation Plan to halt decline and aid colony recovery.

02/03/2026

PETITION to government calling for improved enforcement of speed limits in Shoalwater Bay Special Purpose Zone (wildlife protection) and more - please sign and share

The Penguin Island colony has declined by 95% since 2007, only 97 remain. This colony are headed for extinction. We must act fast.

01/03/2026

Are you a regular user of the Shoalwater Bay Special Purpose Zone (wildlife conservation)? What's your experience as a user. Have you nearly been cleaned up by speeding watercraft?

Would you like to see improved enforcement of speed limits in Shoalwater Bay Special Purpose Zone?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Please also consider sharing this post with others.

📣🐧 😲 PENGUIN PROTECTION MOTION
I was shocked at the voting outcome of my Penguin Motion. Historically on Council, there has always been unanimous support for advocating for the protection of our penguins.

🐧✂️🐧 Research by Dr Belinda Cannell shows that, based on dead penguins collected since 2017, watercraft strike has been responsible for 32% of penguin deaths.

🐧💀🐧 We only have 97 penguins left, according to latest data collected in November 2024 by Dr Belinda Cannell

🎥 I have replayed the meeting video, listened to the arguments again put up by Cr Hudson, Cr Robertson, Cr Mbano & Cr Rudman BUT I still don't understand.

🎥 Check out the video yourself and let me know what you think. The video link is in the comments.

🐧 The Penguin Motion debate starts at 2:17:40 into the meeting

13/02/2026

TINY CRITTERS OF SAFETY BAY AND SHOALWATER BEACHES - by Stephen Ambrose

PART 4: TINY FLIES.
This post continues the discussion about the importance of retaining beach-washed seaweed and seagrass (beach wracks) at beaches in Safety Bay, Shoalwater Bay and Point Peron. There is a whole host of creatures that help break down the beach wracks and return nutrients back into the marine environment of the Shoalwater Island Marine Park. Past posts have examined the roles of springtails, sandhoppers and woodlice, the present post takes a look at the types of tiny flies that are found in and around the beach wracks.

Tiny flies are some of the most obvious insect species buzzing around the beach wracks, especially around dusk. A few may be fly species that buzz around your home, but many are found only on beaches where there is an accumulation of decaying seaweed or seagrass. They include kelp flies, gnats (midges and sandflies), shore flies (subfamily Tethininae), and parasitic flies.

Kelp flies (family Coelopidae) are small, bristly flies that swarm around beach wracks and lay their eggs among the kelp. The eggs hatch into maggots which then feed on the kelp, helping to break it down, while the adults feed on the bacteria in the kelp. Fortunately, they do not bite humans, but their swarms can be troublesome when in large numbers. One of the most common kelp fly species on local beaches is the Black Kelp Fly (Coelopa frigida), which is found on beaches at temperate latitudes worldwide.

Although the gnats swarming around the beach wracks are biting midges, they are not the same species that you find in your garden or in other areas inland of the beaches. They belong to the fly family, Ceratopogonidae and have a similar lifecycle to kelp flies. Most species belong to the genus, Culicoides, but I'm not aware of any studies that have identified the specific species that occur on local beaches.

Beach wracks that have high loads of woodlice (isopods) can also attract parasitic flies from the family, Rhinophoridae (woodlouse flies). Eggs are laid in the beach wracks and when they hatch the larvae attach themselves to passing woodlice. A larva burrows into the body, consuming the inside of the woodlouse's body, where it grows and eventually pupates.

All these flies produce lots of maggots (fly larvae). If you lift up a clump of moist seagrass close to the water's edge on Safety Bay Beach, for instance, you will see teems of maggots. They are harmless to people, but they are really important for breaking down the beached seagrass and kelp and, because there are so many of them, they are an important source of food for shorebirds, and the occasional lizard that ventures onto the beach. When wave action retrieves the clumps of decaying seaweed and seagrass, a lot of the maggots are also carried into the water. Shoals of small fish in the shallows then feed on them.

The Coelopidae or kelp flies are a family of Acalyptratae flies (order Diptera), they are sometimes also called seaweed flies, though both terms are used for a number of seashore Diptera. Fewer than 40 species occur worldwide. The family is found in temperate areas, with species occurring in the sou...