New Penguins Arrive in Weymouth

Staff at Weymouth Sea Life Park are welcoming some special guests on Thursday Jan 20th.

The Park's resident Humboldt penguins will be joined by 10 of their Antarctic cousins - five pairs of Gentoo penguins.

Arriving direct from the world-famous Edinburgh Zoo collection, their stay will be a temporary oneā€¦

"These birds are the acrobats of the penguin world," explained marine expert Fiona Smith.

"They love to dive in the water and leap out onto dry land one behind the other, almost as if the whole thing has been choreographed.

"They are staying with us only while a special new home is created for them at the Sea Life London Aquarium."

Fiona and her team are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with a different species of penguin, to see how they interact with the Humboldts and to compare their respective husbandry needs.

"In spite of their very different styles of behaviour the two species will make perfect companions during their stay together," she said. "Both are on the endangered list in the wild, Gentoos mainly because of loss of habitat in their native sub-antarctic islands including the Falkland Islands."

The Park's sister attraction in the capital is opening an exciting new experience that will give guests a taste of life on an Antarctic research station. The Gentoos will take up residence there this Spring in a carefully created icy home designed to mimic their Antarctic habitat - right down to lots of fresh ice.