ATER migrating more than 11,000 miles from Auckland, New Zealand, a colony of waddling Gentoo penguins have arrived at their new home at The National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham.
The birds will be the stars of the centre’s newest attraction, Penguin Ice Adventure, which is set to open on Monday 7th April, giving visitors a real insight into the lives and quirky habits of the Gentoo, which are the fastest underwater swimming penguins, reaching speeds of up to 36kph.
The all new Penguin Ice Adventure will take visitors on an expedition into the rarely seen Antarctic landscape where they can marvel at the cheeky antics of the birds. Multiple viewing platforms will allow guests to see these endearing creatures as they dive beneath the freezing waters up to 450 times a day and play in their icy home.
Visitors can also feel the ice wall to experience the cold climate which is home to these birds. With indoor temperatures of eight degrees Celsius, visitors will need to wrap up warm, although the penguins will feel right at home. Visitors will also get hear them too, as Gentoos have a very distinctive trumpet call, often likened to a donkey bray. The trumpeting noise they make is so loud it can reach over 80 decibels.
Amy Langham, General Manager at The National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, said: “The penguins have had a long journey, but they’re all in good health and will now be getting used to their new home. There has been a lot of excitement about their arrival and we are confident that visitors will love them as much as we do!”
“The birds, which are classified as near-threatened on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, have been bred together at Kelly Tarleton’s SEA LIFE Centre in Auckland as part of our Breed, Rescue, Protect programme.”
The National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham transports visitors to an amazing underwater world, where they get to see incredible sea life from all over the planet, from the coast of Britain and the chilly Antarctic, to the tropical waters of the Caribbean.
The aquarium is home to over 2,000 creatures, such as sharks, including the UK’s only hammerhead sharks, as well as a rescued Giant Green Sea Turtle, otters, jellyfish, piranha, octopus and rays.
Discounts are available for pre-booked tickets to see Penguin Ice Adventure. For further information or to book tickets please visit www.sealife.co.uk.
The National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham is located in Brindley Place. Opening times are 10am-5pm on Monday to Friday and 10am-6pm at weekends.
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