SeaWorld San Diego, which has been home to emperor penguins for decades, will no longer house the large, cold-weather birds, which were recently moved to its sister park in Orlando.
The penguins, native to Antarctica, went on view for the first time for the Florida park’s annual holders on Thursday and Friday, and they will make their debut to the general public on Saturday.
While it’s unclear when — or if — the penguins will eventually return to San Diego, SeaWorld released a statement Thursday to the Union-Tribune indicating that the San Diego park’s 40-year-old Penguin Encounter facility is on tap for some changes.
“Recently, our Emperor penguins relocated to SeaWorld Orlando — a first step in reimagining Penguin Encounter,” SeaWorld parent company United Parks & Resorts said. “Big changes are on the horizon, and we can’t wait to share what’s coming next.”
The San Diego marine park has long boasted that it’s the only facility in the Western Hemisphere where emperor penguins can be found, but that distinction will now belong to the Orlando park, which renovated what’s known as its Antarctica Realm to meet the environmental needs of the species. That includes reducing temperatures to around 28 degrees and mimicking Antarctic light cycles to reflect their natural rhythms.
San Diego’s Penguin Encounter, which has not been altered in years, has those same parameters, said spokesperson Tracy Spahr. Currently housed there are a variety of cold-weather species, including King, Adelie, Gentoo, Chinstrap and Macaroni penguins. In addition, SeaWorld San Diego houses warm-weather penguins — Magellanic and Humboldt — in an outdoor enclosure.
All 16 of SeaWorld San Diego’s emperor penguins were recently transported to the Florida park, but Spahr said she could not disclose when exactly that occurred, because it’s SeaWorld policy to not provide specific information on animal transfers.
The Orlando park’s president, Jon Peterson, characterized the move as an “incredibly rare and exciting opportunity for guests to encounter one of nature’s most extraordinary species.” He added, “We’re proud to continue SeaWorld’s legacy of penguin care and conservation while giving our guests a rare chance to connect with these animals in remarkable ways.”
Emperor penguins are the largest of the world’s penguin species, growing as tall as 44 inches and weighing 60 to 90 pounds. They live 20 to 25 years in the wild and up to 50 years under professional care, according to SeaWorld.
Just two years ago, an emperor penguin chick hatched at the San Diego park, becoming the first new arrival in more than a decade. Over the years, 23 emperor penguin chicks hatched at SeaWorld. With the most recent chick, SeaWorld’s veterinary team not only had to assist it in breaking through the thick shell that was its home for more than 60 days, but the team also had to perform abdominal surgery on the tiny bird.
The emperor penguins also played a large role in the naming of the park’s dive coaster. The San Diego park debuted its Emperor roller coaster in 2022, after deciding to name the new attraction after the emperor penguin.
At the time of the opening, then-SeaWorld San Diego President Jim Lake described the new attraction as a one-of-a-kind experience where park guests can “come here, ride a roller coaster and then actually go over and see the animal that this represents. You can’t do that anywhere else.”
The San Diego park started breeding the emperor penguins in the early 1980s, the first outside of Antarctica to have success.
Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel contributed to this report.
