While Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium remains closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, this doesn’t stop aquarium employees from making people stuck at the home smile. The animal keepers allowed the penguins at the aquarium to wander the empty exhibit halls and captured all the cuteness on camera for animal lovers.
Since social distancing is being encouraged to stop the spread of the virus, the Shedd Aquarium decided to close its doors on Friday, March 13. However, the aquarium still wanted to make regular visitors happy, so they’ve been posted adorable videos of penguins running rampant in the aquarium on social media platforms.
These penguins exploring an empty aquarium will bring a smile to your face
While it seems strange to see the aquarium so empty, it’s hard not to smile at the penguins despite the scary situation happening outside the walls of the usually packed tourist attraction. The Shedd Aquarium has been posting a series of videos on its Twitter account showing the penguins having a blast while “on a field trip.” The first video was uploaded on Sunday, March 15, and shows a penguin named Wellington looking through the glass at the fish in the Amazon Rising exhibit.
Penguins in the Amazon?
Some of the penguins went on a field trip to meet other animals at Shedd. Wellington seemed most interested in the fishes in Amazon Rising! The black-barred silver dollars also seemed interested in their unusual visitor. pic.twitter.com/KgYWsp5VQD
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 15, 2020
Isn’t Wellington just adorable?! It looks like he and the fish are getting along quite nicely also! The aquarium posted a few more cute videos of the penguins for animal lovers to enjoy.
The second video posted shows resident rockhopper penguins Edward and Annie. They are together for nesting season and got to explore the aquarium’s rotunda while the exhibit halls remained empty. Even though the world outside of the aquarium is a little uncertain right now, it’s still spring nesting season for these adorable penguins.
The adventure continues!
This morning, Edward and Annie explored Shedd’s rotunda. They are a bonded pair of rockhopper penguins, which means they are together for nesting season. Springtime is nesting season for penguins at Shedd, and this year is no different! (1/3) ? pic.twitter.com/VdxN3oQAfe
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 16, 2020
Another video posted on March 16 shows Edward and Annie making their way through the Southeast Asian Streams section. The Twitter post explained that Edward and Annie would start building their nests next week, and the aquarium said they would keep the public updated on nesting coverage.
Penguins like Edward and Annie will begin to build their nests next week. Join us digitally for nesting coverage! In the meantime, we will be sharing lots of different animal updates (and yes, Wellington will return!) ?? (2/3) pic.twitter.com/eCYKOwdOMz
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 16, 2020
The last video posted on the aquarium’s Twitter showed the penguin pair looking around the information desk area. While all of us have to remain at home for a while to stop the spread of the virus, the penguins get to explore more of their surroundings, and we get to watch from the comfort of our homes. The aquarium is asking Twitter users for suggestions on activities for the penguins while the facility remains closed to the public.
While this may be a strange time for us, these days feel normal for animals at Shedd. Our caregivers are constantly providing new experiences for the animals to explore and express their natural behaviors with. Let us know what penguin activities you would like to see! (3/3) pic.twitter.com/ftlow7iPHl
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 16, 2020
Penguins on Saint Patrick’s Day
If you need some more penguin cuteness to ease your stresses during this time, the Shedd also had a St. Patrick’s Day penguin party on Tuesday, March 17, capturing the whole event with pictures for all of us to enjoy.
It’s a #StPatricksDay penguin party! ?? While we can’t go out & party, the animals can! Our caretakers are committed to providing enriching activities (like edible shamrocks) for the animals with or without guests here to see it. Check in throughout the day to see more! pic.twitter.com/Xz1bXd2zk0
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 17, 2020
Final Thoughts: These Penguins Can Provide Distraction for Some Time
It’s heartwarming to see businesses trying to keep a smile on patron’s faces even if they can’t be there in person. Did you enjoy these adorable pictures of penguins running loose in this aquarium? Let us know in the comments below!
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