Welcome
to the
Dingle Oceanworld Polar Penguin Exhibition!
Click
here to
meet the
Penguins!
Gentoo
Penguins
Gentoo
penguins
are a very
distinctive
looking
penguin,
with a
bright
orange
beak, white
stripe
over the
head and
lovely
pink feet.
They are
the third
largest
penguin
species
in the
world,
reaching
a height
of between
70-90 cm.
They are
found on
the Antarctic
Penninsula,
and the
Islands
that surround
it. Due
to the
fact they
thrive
in colder
temperatures,
here at
Dingle
Oceanworld
our penguins
live in
a purpose
built enclosure,
at temperatures
between
6-11 degrees
celcius,
which vary
as the
seasons
change.
The penguins
also benefit
from a
snow machine
that produces
half a
tonne of
snow and
ice a day
for them
to play
in or hang
out on.
We have
12 penguins
who moved
to Dingle
in April
2011, from
Oceanopolis
in Brest,
France;
and Edinburgh
Zoo in
Scotland.
They have
all been
captive
bred and
have settled
in very
well.
They eat
a variety
of fish,
krill,
squid and
mussels,
and feeding
time is
definately
a must
see event.
They are
fed at
different
times throughout
the day,
but you
can always
see them
have their
lunch at
2pm daily.
They have
a yearly
breeding
season,
preferring
not to
rest their
eggs on
their feet,
instead
they build
nests out
of rocks
and twigs.
The male
attracts
the female
with his ‘song’.
The female
lays 2
eggs, then
the male
and female
take equal
turns in
incubating
the egg.
It hatches
after 35
days. Once
again the
parents
take equal
turns in
feeding
and raising
the chick.
By around
2 months
of age
the chick
has fully
grown and
leaves
the nest
to join
the colony
as an adult.
Gentoos
are the
fastest
swimming
bird in
the world.
They reach
speeds
of up to
40km/h.
They can
also dive
to deeper
than 100m,
holding
their breath
for up
to 7 minutes.
They are
very athletic
on land,
able to
outrun
humans,
and climb
sheer rock
faces using
the strong
claws on
their feet..
Click on any of the images below to view a larger version...
  
Identify our Penguins
All
our penguins
have coloured
wing bands
to help
the keepers
identify
them easily.
Why not
see who
you can
spot when
you visit? Click
on any
of the
penguin
picture
to see
a larger
version.
 Black/white wing band: Missy. Female.
Born in
2008. Missy
is a fun
loving
girl, confident
and brave.
She loves
playing
and interacting
with visitors
through
the large
windows
of the
enclosure.
 Green/yellow wing band: Kerry. Female.
Born in 2009. Kerry is a bossy boots who likes to tell the
other penguins what to do. She also very noisy and spends a
lot of time following the keepers around nattering to let them
know she is there!
 Red/yellow wingband: Penelope. Female.
Born in 2007. She is a bit shy but absolutely loves swimming,
preening, and keeping herself looking clean and beautiful.
 Red/pink wingband: Pip. Female.
Born in 2010. Pip is full of mischief and loves nothing better
than helping her keepers clean the enclosure. Whether it is
sweeping the floor, cleaning the windows, scrubbing the pool
or shovelling snow around, Pip can be found in the thick of
the action.
 Brown/white
wingband: Paddy. Male.
Born in 2007 . Patrick is always keen to play with new toys,
but also enjoys spending time chilling out and keeping his
feathers in top condition. Friendly with all the other penguins,
the only time to watch out is at feeds, when he gets over-excited
and tries to eat keeper fingers as well as fish!
 Red/brown wingband: Fletcher. Male.
Born in 2007. Fletcher is a bit of a sensitive fellow, and
should always be treated with the utmost respect. Given time
to relax and adapt to new things, he gains confidence and loves
to play.
 Green/purple wingband: Hugh. Born
in 1989. Charming and charismatic, Hugh is full of manners
and dignity, unlike some of the other rabble! The oldest of
the group, Hugh shows the others how they should behave, but
they never follow his example. He can always be found by the
feet of his keepers at feeding time, waiting patiently for
his turn. What a gentleman.
 Orange/green wingband: Candy. Born
in 2004. Candy is a shy lady around people, but enjoys being
with the other penguins, especially Hugh. The two paired up
many years ago and are going strong. They can often be seen
courting each other and revelling in each other’s company.
 Red/blue
wingband: Peig. Born
in 2010. Peggy is outgoing and easily entertained, which makes
her a joy to be with. She does like things to be on her terms
though, and will let you know if you are in the way!
 Yellow wingband: Bubbles. Born
in 2010. The youngest of the bunch, Bubbles is sweet natured
and always up for getting involved in the games and larks of
the other penguins. She loves her keepers, and like Pip, can
often be found helping with the cleaning and observing to make
sure we do our job properly!
 Blue/white wingband: Sneachta. Born
in 2010. Sneachta, as her name suggests (Sneachta is Irish
for snow) loves playing in the snow. Whether it’s diving
after snowballs, climbing to the top of the snowpile or hunting
for fish hidden in the snow, Sneachta is always first in and
last out!
 Green/white wingband: T.C. Born
in 2010. T.C. has buckets of character, to match his size!
The youngest of the boys, T.C likes to think he’s the
boss of everyone and tries to ensure he is first in line for
fish every feeding time! Despite his boisterous manner he is
a lovely chap and we hope he will grow into a fine well mannered
penguin.
For
more information contact us on 066 9152111 or by e-mail marabeo@iol.ie
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