Your Patience Is Appreciated while the Penguins Replume

If you’ve called recently about booking an encounter with one of our Magellanic penguins, you know that the birds are molting. We suspend the penguin encounters during this two- to three-week period while the birds refeather.

For penguins, molting is an annual process during which they completely replace their plumage. (Some bird species have a second either partial or complete molt during the year.)

“The Magellanics look like shorn sheep,” says Lana Vanagasem, Shedd's supervisor of sea otters and penguins, shown above leading a penguin encounter. The birds probably feel like it, too. She speculates that the sensation of the new feathers emerging from the follicles in the skin is itchy. “They definitely can be irritable during molt,” she says.

Penguin Awareness Day

It’s Penguin Awareness Day, and here’s someone who’s all dressed up and ready to celebrate. Why not schedule a Shedd trip soon to visit this bird and the other Magellanic penguins, as well as the rockhoppers, in Polar Play Zone? Kids can even put on a penguin costume—or just wear black and white.

My Penguin Encounter

I’ve always had a fascination with penguins, ever since I was a child. However, never in my wildest dreams did I actually think I’d meet a penguin. Then, one day, I sat on a small bench surrounded by strangers (who would quickly become friends based on this amazing shared experience) and there in front of me stood 407. At just under 2 years old, 407 is a juvenile Magellanic penguin and one of the many penguins that are a part of the encounter program at Shedd. This extraordinary experience, similarly to Shedd’s Beluga Encounter and Trainer for a Day programs, allow guests to get a close-up, behind-the-scenes experience - not just for entertainment, but an amazing opportunity to learn more about these beautiful animals.

Penguin post - Nesting time

It’s April 15, and you know what that means… it’s time to put nesting rocks in the penguin habitat! Thanks to a nutritious diet, a realistic landscape and exhibit lights that are timed to replicate seasonal changes in day length, the rockhopper penguins are going into mating mode. Each year around April 15, we begin scattering smooth river rocks, small enough to fit in a cupped hand or a penguin’s mouth, throughout the rocky exhibit. Pretty soon the males are picking them up and waddling them over to prime nesting real estate. One male has actually staked out two nest sites. Another, who has been stealing rocks from his neighbors, has constructed a nest in the center of the habitat. We’ve also put out twigs to encourage the two mated pairs of Magellanic penguins. This species nests under shrubs or in shallow sand burrows. The trainers say, however, that these birds are still pretty new to the habitat and may not feel settled in enough to breed this year. Meanwhile, the rockhoppers have decided that the twigs add a nice touch—or maybe feel—to their nests. While the birds are totally serious about this—and even more territorial than usual—it’s a lot of fun to watch. Visit soon!

Creating Polar Play Zone at Shedd

For the top-to-bottom Oceanarium renovation, Kris Nesbitt, senior exhibit designer, and Kara Kotwas, senior graphic designer, saw the underwater viewing gallery as a blank canvas on which to create a universally accessible permanent exhibit where “all children can find something to do.”

Fantasea is a "must sea!"

The reviews are in and Fantasea is a "must sea!" Check out reviews in The Chicago Tribune, Southtown Star and WBBM radio.

Check out this video introducing the cast of Shedd's new aquatic show.



Posted by Jay Geneske, web editor

Oceanarium Reimagined: A Look Back

 
Here's a look back at the renovation of the reimagined Oceanarium. Thanks for supporting Shedd and visit us soon!



Posted by Jay Geneske, web editor

Fantasea at Shedd Aquarium trailer

Check out the official trailer for Fantasea, which debuts Oct. 16 at Shedd!



Posted by Jay Geneske, web editor
 

New penguin chicks on exhibit at Shedd

Shedd’s Magellanic chicks have joined the eight adult Magellanics and 12 rockhoppers in the penguin habitat. Here’s a recap of their development plus an update on their progress, courtesy of trainer and penguin lead Lana Vanagasem, since we last reported on them June 10.

Our five penguin chicks made the trip from the San Francisco Zoo to Shedd as eggs in a portable incubator, securely strapped into their own business-class seat on a commercial flight. Lana was beside them the whole trip. The day after the eggs arrived, May 15, the first chick pipped its eggshell, beginning the laborious task of hatching. The chicks were fully hatched out between May 16 and 24, after an average of 40 days of incubation. The white spot on the end of each bird’s beak is an “egg tooth,” a sharp bump that helps puncture the egg membranes and shell, then drops off within a few weeks. 

Shedd's new aquatic show postponed

The July 2 premiere of Fantasea, Shedd’s new multimedia, multi species aquatic show — is being delayed until later this summer.

Animal care is our first priority, and we want to ensure the show is the best guest experience it can be. After being away from the Oceanarium for nine months during its renovation, the animals are still getting acclimated to their new surroundings. We are giving them more time to make themselves at home. Later this summer we will debut the show our guests have been looking forward to.

Guests can explore a world of wonders in the reimagined Oceanarium, from welcoming home new and familiar faces to the Oceanarium family, and experiencing the new, permanent exhibit Polar Play Zone made just for kids, a first for Shedd.