Calling All Junior Penguin Keepers!
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium is open 7 days per week during the school holidays
Visit SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium during the Spring school holidays to go on a Junior Penguin Keeper adventure!
The free activities are available from Saturday 26 September to Sunday 11 October to encourage kids to discover fascinating facts about the King and Gentoo penguins and the wonderful team who care for them.
There is a Junior Penguin Keeper quiz trail for kids to follow through the aquarium and everyone who completes the quiz will go in the draw to win one of five exclusive penguin gift bags!
The SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s education team is hosting penguin talks throughout the day and Penguin Keepers will also be available to answer all sorts of penguin-related questions straight after each talk with spot prizes for the kids with the best queries!
The Spring school holidays coincide with the Gentoo penguin breeding season, which is on display for all to see! Known for their playful personalities, the penguins kick off the breeding season by scouring the ice for the smoothest looking pebbles they can find, which they present to their preferred mate as a token of their love. The potential partner will add the pebble to their nest, where they will eventually lay their eggs. This courting ritual gets competitive as the cheeky penguins do not shy away from stealing pebbles (or partners) from their friends!
Kids can also check out SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Facebook page for virtual Junior Penguin Keeper activities including downloadable worksheets, videos and interviews with the aquarium’s Penguin Keepers.
The Junior Penguin Keeper activities are designed to help kids learn more about these fascinating flightless birds. SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s is home to the only colony of sub-Antarctic penguins in New Zealand and the birds are one of the most popular creatures at the aquarium.
Guests can also wander through the world’s first curved aquarium tunnel, meet rescued sea turtles in Turtle Bay and get up close with huge crayfish, octopus and moray eels in the Fish Gallery.
During the New Zealand school holidays, SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s will be open seven days per week. All visitors must pre-book their tickets online in advance, where they can save up to 20%. Visit www.kellytarltons.co.nz and www.facebook.com/SEALIFEKellyTarltons for opening hours, updates, tickets and health and safety information.