Penguins

Winter is coming!

During the winter months, you will notice that the lights in our penguin habitat will be in low light or going into a sunset cycle of reds and that the penguins will be settling in for a night’s sleep. This is to ensure we closely match the conditions found in the Southern Hemisphere – where Gentoo penguins are found. The variation in light cycles and temperature is designed to encourage their natural seasonal behaviour including a yearly moult, nesting, and breeding. At this time of year, that means the sun sets earlier at Penguin Point. This practice is based on years of worldwide experience in maintaining the best possible conditions and to ensure that Gentoo penguins breed successfully.

Penguins are playful!

They love to slide down icy patches on their bellies and take turns to dive into the ocean. Did you know their black and white pattern is a form of camouflage? It helps them blend in with the water and keep safe from predators.

Let's swim

Penguins are found almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere. They are ‘flightless’ birds but they can soar through the water like a torpedo to catch fish! They eat fish, squid and shrimp in the wild. The colour in the shrimp they eat is what makes their feet and beaks orange. They also They feed their chicks by regurgitating partially digested food straight into their mouths. YUCK!

Life in the cold

Gentoos in the wild live in one of the harshest landscapes on the planet, so this species is specially adapted to life in the cold. Their body is covered in an insulating layer of blubber and they eat lots of fish to maintain it. They also have a layer of woolly, insulating feathers covered by a second layer of smooth, waterproof feathers which helps to keep the warm in and the cold water out. Our penguin home has been specially designed to keep Gentoo Penguins cool and comfortable.

Helping penguins in the wild

The African Penguin is a Critically Endangered species of penguin, that’s wild population has declined over 50 percent since the late 1970s! SEA LIFE send a team of animal experts to volunteer time at Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB). Located in Cape Town, South Africa, SANCCOB aim to reverse the decline the African Penguin population through rescue, rehab and release of ill, injured or abandoned birds.

You can help African penguins by supporting penguin conservation groups like SANCCOB, and by making more sustainable seafood choices at restaurants and grocery stores.