What are penguin stones?
Small painted stones, hidden around the world for anyone to find
A penguin you can find
Penguin stones are ordinary stones, hand-painted to look like little penguins. Each one carries its own number. They are hidden in parks, on hiking trails, at viewpoints, on beaches and in quiet corners of towns — 1,127 of them in 77 countries so far — and every single one is on our map, with photos of the spot and the name of whoever hid it.
It is a treasure hunt anyone can join: no app, no account, no cost to look.
Found one? Here is what to do
- Say hello. Take a photo — the number is painted on the stone.
- Look it up. Search the number on this site, or scan the QR code if the stone came with a card. Its page shows where it was hidden, by whom, and how far it has travelled.
- Tap “Yes, found it” on its page — the stone counts one more find, and everyone can see it has been found.
- Keep it, or hide it again. Keep it for a while if the moment is special — or take it somewhere new, hide it, and add the new spot to the map so its journey carries on.
Three kinds of penguin
Standard penguin stones are the classic black-and-white ones — most of what you will find. Golden penguins are rare: the long-term goal is at least one golden stone hidden in every country in the world. Special edition penguins are one of a kind, often painted around the shape or texture the stone already had.
Why penguins, and why stones?
Penguins collect pebbles for their nests, and some even give stones to their partners — so little penguin stones felt right from the start. Many penguin species are threatened by climate change, pollution and the changing oceans, and part of the idea is to get people curious about them.
The other part is travel. A stone is a reason to go somewhere you would have walked past: a quiet viewpoint, a side street, a trail off the usual route.
Where they came from
Penguin Stones began on Lifeguin, a travel blog with a penguin called Miško. A few painted stones left behind on trips turned into a community: people found them, re-hid them, and asked for their own. The goal now is one million penguin stones around the world. The full story is on our About page.
Hide your own
Anyone can join. Request a starter pack of hand-painted stones — you only help with shipping and packaging — or adopt a single penguin. Hide them somewhere worth a visit, then add each one to the map with a photo and its location. Every submission is checked by a person before it goes live.
Questions? The FAQ covers finding, hiding responsibly and adding stones to the map.