Melbourne isn't just laneways and lattes - discover 5 wildlife surprises

Not all wildlife safaris require a pith helmet or a four-wheel drive. Even in the concrete jungle of Melbourne, there are plenty of opportunities for interacting with local species, and we are not just talking about protecting your sandwich from a dive-bombing seagull. You can experience marine migrations, rare amphibians and a cuteness overload as the city's penguin colony waddles home each night. Come with us as we go in search of Melbourne's Big Five.

The St Kilda breakwater was built in 1956 for the Melbourne Olympics, and about 10 years later, it was noticed that little penguins had made it their home. The colony is now about 1400 birds strong, and you can watch them make their nightly sunset trip back onto land after a hard day's fishing.

As part of the redevelopment of the St Kilda Pier last year, there is a new, underlit viewing platform that allows visitors to view the penguin parade from above. The walkway is open by day but closes at 6pm for now, while the penguins get used to the new surroundings.

For now, you can watch the penguins from a bit further away at the entrance to the walkway and on the wharf. In warmer weather, you are sharing this seaside spot with swimmers and buskers. As Dr Flossy Sperring, vice president and research coordinator at registered charity Earthcare St Kilda, puts it, it's "quite a vibe".

"The way that it used to work was that people were just on the breakwater amongst the penguins, and the penguins could not move anywhere," Sperring says. "So we were instrumental in getting this new boardwalk that is set apart from the breakwater, so it will help protect the penguins."

HOW TO DO IT: Simply head down to St Kilda foreshore and walk to the end of the new wharf around sunset. stkildapenguins.com.au

Lunching on an Azamara cruise ship moored at the Port Melbourne terminal, I was surprised to look out the window and see a pod of dolphins because I had no idea the bay was home to these curious creatures.

"There are thought to be about 145 dolphins in Port Phillip Bay," says Torie Mackinnon of Moonraker Dolphin Swims, which has been running dolphin tours for 35 years. "There is quite a bit of research to suggest the dolphins do head north [towards Melbourne from Sorrento] over the winter months, so you can see them in St Kilda and Carrum Beach."

HOW TO DO IT: Hire a paddleboard from Stand Up Paddle HQ at St Kilda. Or for a more guaranteed, slightly out-of-town approach, set sail with Moonraker on a half-day cruise from Sorrento. supb.com.au; moonrakerdolphinswims.com.au

Yarra Bend Park in Kew in Melbourne's east is home to 3000 to 50,000 grey-headed flying foxes, depending on the time of year.

There is a narrow path that follows this windy part of the Yarra and, before long, you will hear the screeches and squawks of the winged inhabitants as they squabble like siblings sharing a bedroom.

By day, the bats are hanging upside down from the stands of eucalypts with just the odd one taking flight for a change of scene, but come sunset and the entire colony takes flight in search of food.

If you are visiting the natural-bushland park during the day, keep walking around to the historic Fairfield Park Boathouse cafe that has occupied its prime riverside real estate since 1908.

HOW TO DO IT: Put "Flying Fox Viewing Platform" in Yarra Bend Park into your satnav, where there is plenty of parking, and set off on the trail there. To view the colony by boat, hire a rowboat at Fairfield Boathouse. fairfieldboathouse.com

The seabed of Port Phillip Bay may seem a world away from Africa's Serengeti, but under the calm waters, tens of thousands of spider crabs take part in an annual migration around May and June.

Melburnians love to flock to the seaside and try to get a look at this amazing phenomenon since it featured on the BBC's Blue Planet.

Merri Creek cuts a green swathe through the north of Melbourne and, while locals might take it for granted, it is home to the rare growling grass frog.

There is a concerted government effort to create wetlands around Melbourne, including in Merri Creek, where you can stroll along the creekside pathways past community gardens and kids' football games.

The growling grass frog is the cheetah of the Melbourne Big Five, elusive and skittish but well worth it when you finally spot one.

HOW TO DO IT: Merri Creek Park is located in Wallan, north of the CBD, but the creek travels through northern suburbs like Coburg North and Brunswick East. parks.vic.gov.au