“You could stare at them forever”: a conference with penguin participation gathers penguin fans
A conference devoted to Humboldt penguins was held by the Primorsky Aquarium for all comers on 25 April as part of the World Penguin Day celebration.
The event was conducted in an open mic format. Every visitor, young and old, could ask questions on the lifestyle of the birds to the ornithologists.
First, the guests enjoyed watching the penguins being fed with fresh fish. After that, the keepers invited the audience to ask their questions. And there were lots and lots of them. The participants inquired about everything: the details of penguin life, their anatomical features and behavior, how they sleep, form pairs, raise their chicks, and interact with humans.
“We did not expect so many questions and we really loved answering them. Great that people show so much interest in the animals, which call the Primorsky Aquarium home, and in our work,” – said Ilya Kuzora, ornithologist and the host of the conference.
The conference took place in the Polar World exhibit, where the Humboldt penguins’ enclosure is located. According to reviews, this is one of the favorite places for the visitors.
“My son and I heard about World Penguin Day at the Aquarium and decided to come to the event, to know what was going on. We are from Belgorod, just on a flying visit to Vladivostok. Where else could we see all this? Only in documentaries. But here at the aquarium we have a chance to observe everything with our own eyes. We are eager to know all: the structure of the beak, the fact that each bird has its own character, and much more. The keepers here are great guys, and it’s very important that they tell us about all these curious things. On the top of it, penguins are the creatures that you can stare at endlessly, they are so peculiar! We are very grateful!” - thanked Larisa Ivanovna, one of the visitors.
The participants of the event, who asked the most interesting questions, were presented with gifts: paintings created by penguins (their footprints on canvas).
One of the Primorsky Aquarium’s priorities since its opening is providing education for children and adults alike. The Aquarium offers a wide range of academic classes and educational programs, lectures, hands-on activities and celebrations, environment and biology clubs and workshops. Our goal is to build environmental awareness and stewardship, caring and thoughtful attitude towards the ocean and nature in general.