Fiordland crested penguins have returned to coastal forests on the West Coast to start their five-month breeding season.

Tawaki are one of the world's rarest penguin species, and breed near Lake Moeraki.

Satellite tracking studies show tawaki swim nearly 10,000 kilometres over a six-month period after converging on summer feeding grounds halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica.

Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki operator Dr Gerry McSweeny said about 10 percent of tawaki were found around the lodge during breeding season.

The lodge partners with the Department of Conservation (DOC), West Coast Penguin Trust and Tawaki Project to monitor the penguins' breeding activities.

Penguin numbers had nearly tripled over a 33-year study period, which had been aided by effective predator control, banning dogs on this coastline, public education and careful management, McSweeny said.

DOC's last aerial pest control treatment was last August, which McSweeny said meant very low rat and stoat numbers.

"2022 was a very good breeding season at our tawaki monitor nest sites. Numbers of penguins were slightly down on the 2021 penguin season, but in both 2021 and 2022 we recorded more penguins than in the previous 30 years of our monitoring work.

"This is great news for tawaki penguin conservation."

Reproduced with permission