Pukekura Trust scientist Dr Hiltrun Ratz said she found the season's first egg in a Pilots Beach nesting box on Tuesday.
The egg came early in the season, repeating last year's trend.
It was great for the penguins, as the species could lay twice per season, she said.
The chicks grew up very quickly, meaning it could be three months between eggs being laid, and the mothers could have two eggs at a time.
At Pilots Beach, the species were doing ''very well'', Dr Ratz said.
''We only started looking closely at them here two years ago and we've found over 500.''
Taiaroa Head had the most and the least productive seabird species right next to each other, she said.
''The albatross have one chick every two years, while little blue penguins can have eight in that time. No other seabirds are that productive.
''Little blue penguins are biologically the most fascinating species.''
They were also flourishing in Oamaru, but outside of that researchers did not have a particularly good handle on how many of the penguins there were in Otago, she said.
Their numbers would grow very quickly with just a small amount of protection, she said.
