Gentoo and Macaroni penguins will move into Ocean Journey and take people to the world's southern hemisphere and the sub-Antarctic islands surrounding the South Pole. When visitors enter "Penguins' Rock"Â they will find themselves immersed in an interactive gallery that will take them on a journey into the penguins' world thousands of miles away.
Imagine watching these busy birds diving into an 18,000 gallon pool of 45 degree water, with waves rolling across the floor to ceiling windows. On land penguins are not very graceful, but you'll soon understand why everyone says these birds really "fly"Â underwater. With flippers providing the speed, and their feet and tail providing steering and braking these animals will amaze everyone with their agility below the water line.
On land these penguins offer a wide range of interesting behaviors as well. The Tennessee Aquarium will have 20 birds on display, 5 pairs of Gentoo penguins and 5 pairs of Macaroni. Which means visitors will also get to view these penguins very selectively choosing the best pebbles for nesting materials and mating rituals. The expectation is at some time in the future these pairs will provide hours of fascination when eggs are laid, hatched and baby penguins are reared by their parents. This will make "Penguins' Rock"Â not only a must see exhibit . . . it will be a "must see again and again"Â exhibit.
"Penguins' Rock"Â will be a fun and educational experience in several other ways as well. Video displays will show guests penguins in their native habitats which surround Antarctica. A touch pool will allow visitors to feel the icy waters penguins call home. And visitors will also be able to compare themselves to life-sized models of three different penguin species. Lively graphics throughout the exhibit will also take you on a fact finding scavenger hunt of penguin points to ponder.
Penguins in the wild face several man-made challenges including habitat destruction, over-fishing, oil spills, and global warming. While Gentoo and Macaroni penguins are not endangered, the birds that will be on display at the Tennessee Aquarium will not be taken from the wild. These birds will be acquired from Sea World in San Antonio, Texas and transported to Chattanooga in a refrigerated truck. -- www.tnaqua.org
Posted February 8th, 2007 by ruzik_tuzik
