Everyone loves the penguins, and so will you. More than 74 birds live in the massive first-floor exhibit. Explore all around the exhibit, peer through the underwater periscope, play with the penguins at the penguin light station and listen to penguin sounds at the Hear a Penguin interactive. Curious visitors can also learn more about penguins at the Penguin Smart Station, participate in a Penguin Presentation or watch a penguin feeding.
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The Aquarium’s penguin exhibit surrounds the Giant Ocean Tank, and can be seen from almost everywhere in the Aquarium. The exhibit holds more than 150,000 gallons of fresh, clean, filtered salt water from Boston Harbor.
Animals
Three species of penguins live at the Aquarium. The African penguins are also known as jackass penguins for their loud call, which sounds like a donkey’s bray. The rockhoppers are popular for their punk-rock hairdo of wild yellow feathers. And, everyone loves the little blue penguins, which are the smallest penguin species in the world.
Habitat
Penguins spend most of their lives at sea, but every penguin needs to come ashore to breed, molt and raise chicks. All penguins live south of the equator. Some penguins live in or near Antarctica, but most prefer more temperate climes. African penguins and little blue penguins nest in burrows on or near scrubby temperate beaches, while rockhoppers prefer rocky subarctic islands.
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