That Time I Got to Meet a Penguin

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was pretty much what was going on in my head the night before right after Sameer told me about what we were going to do the next day. I was quite literally on the verge of shedding (happy/excited) tears. I love animals as it is. However, I have always had a special place in my heart for marine mammals. When I was in grade 4, my dream was to become a marine biologist.  I even remember telling my parents that I wanted to go to UBC because they had a good program there. Coincidentally, I did end up moving to BC.  However, we all know that I didn't quite fulfill my dreams to become a marine biologist.

As an early birthday surprise, Sameer booked a "Close Encounters" session for us at the Vancouver Aquarium. It's an approximately 45 min long interactive private session that includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the animals' habitat with an "Aquarium Interpreter" and a one-on-one meeting with the animal(s) accompanied by a trainer. The aquarium offers sessions with dolphins, otters, sea lions, and penguins. You can probably tell by the title of the post which one we chose to do. Usually each private session accommodates up to four people. We were lucky because no one else was signed up for our session, so it was just the two of us.

Some background about the Vancouver Aquarium, for those of you who don't already know ...

The Vancouver Aquarium is a self-supporting and non-profit organization. The organization's focus is on the conservation of aquatic life. Over the years, the aquarium has strived to achieve its goal of increasing awareness to the issues clouding the world's oceans' ecosystems by promoting awareness through community education, research projects, conservation programs and initiatives, like their Close Encounters sessions!

Shout out to Lara, who was our Aquarium Interpreter for the tour portion of the encounter. She was so great! She started off by taking us to the penguin exhibit to give us an overview of the species of penguins that they housed at the aquarium -- the African Penguins aka the Black-Footed Penguins. African Penguins naturally originate from the southern coasts of Africa. The penguins at the Vancouver Aquarium were brought over from the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts. Although the seven African Penguins at the Vancouver Aquarium were bred as part of the Zoos and Aquarium's Species Survival Plan, they act more so as ambassadors of the aquarium for their species; allowing visitors (like us) to learn more about them and where they came from. Since these penguins were all bred in captivity, mating is discouraged due to their similar genetics. To deter them from giving in to their natural mating instincts, the aquarium has had to structure and build their habitat in specific ways (i.e. the absence of burrows).

Sadly, we learned that these adorable tuxedo birds are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species. Since the early 1900s, 95% of the species' population has disappeared. Lara explained to us that among a number of contributing factors, overfishing is the number one cause of the species' continually declining numbers. In the wild, the penguins are constantly competing with commercial fisheries. As a result of the lack of available food (sardines and anchovies) in their natural habitat, the birds are forced to venture further and further for food. Because of this, they have less energy and resources to care for their young and become more vulnerable in the face of predators and other obstacles that may threaten their survival. In efforts to buffer the effects of overfishing, the Vancouver Aquarium has created a conservation program called "Ocean Wise" that aims to educate consumers on the significance of choosing sustainable seafood. Many Vancouver restaurants employ the Ocean Wise symbol on their menus to provide consumers with the assurance that the seafood that they are using in the preparation of their meals is chosen in accordance with approved sustainability guidelines.

We visited the "feeding kitchen" where they prepare and store the food that is fed to different marine mammals at the aquarium. On average, an African Penguin eats about 3-5 sardines a day. At the aquarium, they pay special attention to the fish that are being fed to the birds in order to prevent the occurrence of any food borne diseases. Lara told us that each fish is inspected very carefully to ensure that there are no cuts, bruises or abnormalities. From time to time, the penguins also receive vitamin supplements to ensure that they are fully nourished. They had very detailed feeding schedules for each of the marine mammals displayed on various white boards next to the kitchen. Part of the trainers' job is to feed the animals based on the set schedules every day. The animals are also introduced to different toys throughout the week, so that they constantly have the opportunity to interact and adapt to something new in their environment (there is a detailed schedule for this too). Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take any photos of the kitchen area. 

And then, onto the MOST EXCITING part of the session ... we got to meet a penguin! As I mentioned earlier, the Vancouver Aquarium currently has seven African Penguins -- Tofino, Nelson, Sechelt, Salt Spring, Hope, Lillooet, and Steveston; all named after places in British Columbia. We got to meet Hope, a six-year-old female. The trainer (Kristin) told us that Hope was by far the most social and friendly of all the penguins. She told us that if a penguin is not comfortable with their surroundings, they tend to express aggression very visibly. Hope, on the other hand, seemed so comfortable that she was fluffing her feathers and dozing off while standing within arms reach in front of us. 

Interesting fact #1: Each one of the penguin's feathers are connected to a special muscle in their body that is activated when they fluff up their feathers.

Kristin also mentioned that Hope is pretty much potty-trained (without any training from them). Since she seems to enjoy the company of humans so much, they often let her waddle around their office to explore. This immediately prompted me to start fantasizing about having a penguin waddling around in my office. 

CAN WE PLEASE ADOPT HER?!?!
I'd like to think that she loved me just as much as I loved her.

Interesting fact #2: The only place on the African Penguin's body that is not covered by feathers (aside from their feet) is the bare skin directly above their eyes. This fleshy area turns pink when the penguin is hot and acts as a cooling mechanism that allows them to exert heat.

I could probably go on and on with many more interesting facts that I learned about these amazing birds, but I will spare you. Meeting Hope was undoubtedly one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had. I love that the Vancouver Aquarium started doing Close Encounters and think that it is a great way for animal lovers (or just any one in general) to learn more about the animals. Especially knowing that the African Penguins are an endangered species, I feel so grateful to have had the chance to come face-to-face and interact closely with such a fascinating and curious creature.

Last, but not least, major thanks to the guy in my life who made this happen. You da best!!!