What to do in Vancouver: Visit Penguin Point
The Vancouver Aquarium is a great local resource for families. Whether you’re looking for something to do on a rainy day, you’re entertaining out-of-town guests, or you have a budding marine biologist, visiting the aquarium is what to do in Vancouver. The otters are adorable, the dolphins are high-flying, and the shows are fun for all ages. And now, with the opening of Penguin Point, they’re welcoming penguins for the first time.
What to do in Vancouver: Meet Some African Penguins
The penguins at Penguin Point are African penguins. These are not the sorts of birds that live in the icy snow of Antarctica. This species hails from the beaches of South Africa and Namibia. Their habitat at the aquarium reflects that – think brown, rocky shore and lovely blue water, rather than icy white and cool. These penguins are actually well suited to Vancouver, as well. Because they originate from someplace that can be very warm and sunny, and because they spend a lot of time swimming in the cool ocean water, they have become uniquely adapted to both keeping warm and cooling down.
The penguins at the Vancouver Aquarium have never actually set foot in Africa. They come from the New England Aquarium in Boston, where they were bred as part of a species survival plan. This is because the African penguin is endangered. 90% of the birds have disappeared in the past 100 years. One of the biggest reasons for this is lack of food. The penguins eat mostly sardines and anchovies. Overfishing and stress from human activities are making it hard for the birds to find enough to feed their young and themselves. If you visit Penguin Point, you’ll have the chance to learn about what you to do in Vancouver to help ensure that the African penguins survive.
VancouverMom.ca Podcast: Talking Penguins
We were very fortunate, recently, to connect with Lauren Hartling from the Vancouver Aquarium about the African penguins at Penguin Point. Lauren is the Interpretive Speciallist for Marine Mammals, and she’s branching out into birds to talk about the penguins. If you’d like to learn more about these birds and what’s up at Penguin Point, or you’re wondering what to do in Vancouver this summer, listen to the VancouverMom.ca podcast here:
[podcast]http://www.citymomnow.com/podcasts/vancouver/VancouverMom8_Aquarium.mp3[/podcast]
Name Those Birds!
Penguin Point opened on May 18, 2012, and it’s slated to run for at least one year. So if you’re wondering what to do in Vancouver this summer, you can stop by the aquarium and visit the penguins more than once. Or if you just can’t get enough, tune into the live webcam at vanaqua.org/penguincam, and you’ll see what the penguins are up to during the aquarium’s open hours. You can also participate in the contest to name the penguins. They’re looking for names of cities, towns and neighbourhoods around BC, to make these penguins truly Vancouver penguins. Submit your suggestion before June 17, 2012.
Vancouver Aquarium
