Northern blue penguin (Eudyplula minor Novaehollandiae) in Wellington harbour

[First paragraph(s)...]
The following is a summary of observations made on the northern blue penguin in the Wellington Harbour area during the 1954-55 nesting season and continuously from August 1956 to March 1958.
Somes Island, situated in the middle of the Wellington Harbour, was chosen for this study mainly because of its comparative isolation and its closeness to Wellington, and the fact that it was known to have a large penguin population. The island is used as a quarantine station, is closed to the public, no predatory mammals occur, and so the birds are virtually undisturbed throughout the year.