Visitors to Sea World Orlando will be able to meet Emperor Penguin later this week, the theme park confirms.
Antarctic birds will be open to the public on Saturdays, while SeaWorld’s annual pass holders are available early access on Thursdays and Fridays.
The 16 emperor Penguins were transported from Sea World San Diego to Florida, and Orlando became the only place in the Western Hemisphere where people could check them out. SeaWorld Orlando has met the species’ environmental needs, including renovating Antarctic areas to reduce temperatures to about 28 degrees, or mimicking Antarctic light cycles to reflect a natural rhythm.
“This is a very rare and exciting opportunity for guests to discover one of the most extraordinary species in nature,” Jon Peterson, Park President of SeaWorld Orlando, said in a news release.
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“We are proud to continue our SeaWorld penguin care and conservation heritage and give our guests the unusual opportunity to connect with these animals in an incredible way,” he said.
The Emperor Penguin is the largest penguin species in the world, weighing 44 inches tall and weighing between 60 and 90 pounds. They have lived in the wild for 20-25 years.
The SeaWorld family has long connections to the Emperor. San Diego attractions began breeding birds in the early 1980s. We hatched over 20 species, including one from two years ago.
Currently, Sea World Parks is a home of Emperors, Kings, Adelie, Gentu, Chinstrap, Rockhopper, Macaroni, Magelanic and Humboldt Penguin species.
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The latest addition to Orlando also has tied it into Inflatable Penguin Promotion, located in downtown Orlando. The fake bird can be found on top of three buildings along Orange Avenue. The Big City Penguin, announced in collaboration with the Creative City Project, will remain until June 19th.
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