Situated off the coast of Perth in Western Australia, Rottnest Island is a protected nature reserve that’s home to the quokka, a small, wallaby-like marsupial that’s been dubbed the happiest animal on the earth by the Huffington Post in 2012, thanks to their little smiling snouts and the hundreds of selfies the animal has been snapping with visitors to the island.
The island is a popular destination for tourists and holidaying Australians alike. The Mediterranean-style climate and indigenous flora and fauna of the island provide the backdrop to a very special coastal holiday experience. The Island is also one of the last strongholds for the quokkas, whose numbers have been severely depleted on the mainland due to pests and other predators. But Rottnest Island has been making headlines for an entirely different reason.
The islands native quokka population is particularly friendly with visitors and are more than happy to snap a selfie with you. Instagram is inundated with smiling qoukkas and stoked tourists grabbing a pic with the furred marsupial to immortalise the trip on social media.
The quokka selfie has become so popular that the Rottnest Island website has a page dedicated to informing potential visitors on how to approach the animal, and get a photo, without harming the animal or environment, as well as an informational video
According to the professional wildlife conservationists at Rottnest Island, this is how to get the perfect #quokkaselfie
- Get your smile and camera ready
- Wait nearby and let them come to you
- Quokkas are trusting so plan your selfie carefully and never touch or pat a quokka as it could make you both sick
- If the quokka is camera shy, don’t tempt them with food or water
- Use a selfie stick to maintain a respectful distance
- No one loves a camera in their face all day. Once you’ve got your shot, be sure to sit back and spend some non-screen time with the quokkas.
You can reach Rottnest island by air, boat and ferry, check out the website for more details
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