BBC Sports Andrew Cotter commentates penguin parade on Australia's Phillip Island

Voiceover narrates fairy penguin’s high-stakes waddle from shoreline to burrows in parade that used to attract thousands of visitors nightly

 With live sport now a scarce resource, BBC commentator Andrew Cotter has lent his distinctive voice to the fairy penguins of Phillip Island.

He has narrated the birds’ nightly waddle back to their burrows, turning Victoria’s famous penguin parade into a high-stakes, long-distance race.

“They gather on the beach, the tension mounting, and away they go! There’s the defending champion, wearing his familiar navy blue and white. Great waddling style,” Cotter says as one penguin hits the lead.

Cotter has become one of the coronavirus pandemic’s viral hits after commentating the antics of his labradors, Olive and Mabel, in videos posted to Twitter. His video “Game of Bones” now has more 30m views.

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It seems his latest video is in collaboration with Visit Victoria and Phillip Island Nature Parks – an attempt to draw international attention to one of Australia’s biggest tourist attractions.

“I knew all about the penguins of Phillip Island before this and have visited Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road or Mornington Peninsula every year for the past 15 years,” Cotter said.

“I love it all down there so this was a natural fit.”

The daily parade of penguins, who waddle from the shoreline to their burrows, attracts thousands of visitors to Phillip Island Nature Park every year.

Andrew Cotter(@MrAndrewCotter)

Some sports are slower. More about the strategy. pic.twitter.com/JMBaGJ1tSd

April 9, 2020

Catherine Basterfield, the park’s chief executive, said: “The penguins are quite comfortable in front of an audience as they are used to doing their nightly waddle in front of visitors at the penguin parade, but this kind of global recognition goes above and beyond.

“The penguins never fail to entertain with their antics, and Andrew’s wonderful wit has captured this beautifully.”

The Penguin Parade is still closed to visitors due to Covid-19 lockdowns, but staff are still on-site to keep an eye on the wild penguin community.

Even when large gatherings are allowed once again in Victoria, tourism sites will likely continue to struggle. Large tour groups from around the world make up a significant portion of revenue, but there is still no timeline for when Australia’s international border restrictions will be eased.