Penguin Feeding at Featherdale Wildlife Park: What to Expect

If your child loves animals, the Penguin Encounter at Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park is one of the more hands-on wildlife experiences you can book in Sydney.

We booked it as a birthday present for our son, Henry, because he loves penguins. As he gets older, we’re finding that experience gifts feel more memorable and personal.

A special birthday experience feeding Little Penguins at Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park.

---

Penguin Feeding at Featherdale: What Happens During the Encounter?

Penguin feeding at Featherdale is a hands-on experience that lets you enter the enclosure, feed the Little Penguins and learn about them from a keeper.

Once the food came out, the penguins gathered around Henry almost immediately, and he ended up completely surrounded while feeding them.

Throughout the encounter, the keeper shares information about Little Penguin behaviour, diet, habitat, social structure and other characteristics of the species. You can also ask questions along the way, so the experience feels both interactive and informative.

Getting completely surrounded during the Featherdale Penguin Encounter.

---

What are the penguins like?

Featherdale has Little Penguins, the smallest penguin species. They are around 40–45 cm tall and can weigh up to about 1 kg.

They usually feed on small fish such as pilchards and anchovies, as well as squid, and can dive around 5–20 metres to find food. Little Penguins also live in colonies, sometimes with hundreds of birds ashore at once.

Seeing them from inside the enclosure is very different to watching them from the outside. They are small, curious and very focused on the food, so you get a genuinely close-up experience.

Featherdale is home to Little Penguins, the smallest penguin species.

---

Penguin Encounter: Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Session times	10:00 am & 3:30 pm
Minimum age	10+
Ages 10–15	Must participate with an adult aged 18+
Price	$200 for the first participant
Additional participant	$150
Classic Photo Package	Included
Super Photo Package upgrade	$29.99 per person
Ultimate Photo Package upgrade	$49.99 per person
General admission	Not included
Check-in	At least 30 minutes before the encounter
Footwear	Fully enclosed flat shoes required

We chose to upgrade the photo package because the encounter was Henry’s birthday present and we wanted to keep more of the professional photos from the day.

Ready to book? You can check current Featherdale ticket prices and availability on Klook here.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/84adbf_cc6db0f298a3458fac0e27521424717d/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

What the Penguin Encounter is really like — feeding Little Penguins inside the enclosure at Featherdale.

---

Did we like it and was it worth it?

Yes.

For us, the best part was how interactive it was. Henry wasn’t just watching the penguins. He was inside the enclosure, feeding them and surrounded by them.

It is not a cheap add-on once you include the second participant, general admission and any photo upgrade, but because this was a birthday present rather than just an extra activity, we felt it was worth it.

If your child loves penguins or animals, it is a memorable experience and one that feels quite different from simply visiting the park.

The encounter is hands-on, with plenty of time to feed the penguins at close range.

Prices, session times and inclusions can change, so check Featherdale directly before booking.

---

More animal encounters in Sydney

If your kids love close-up animal experiences, we’ve also tried several animal encounters at Sydney Zoo — including meerkats, squirrel monkeys, camel feeding, a seasonal reptile pop-up and free wallaby interactions.

Read our Sydney Zoo Animal Encounters guide →