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Penguins Come to the New Jersey Aquarium People have long held a fascination with penguins. Cute and cuddly-looking, these semi-aquatic birds are the highlight of cartoons, television commercials, and circus acts. Now visitors to the New Jersey State Aquarium in Camden will have the opportunity to see these creatures up close at a new exhibit called Inguza Island. A "Penguin Paradise" containing a 17,000 gallon pool and a 20-foot underwater viewing area, the island exhibit features 15 African (or Black-Footed) penguins from South Africa. They are the only penguins native to Africa, and have recently become endangered in the wild, their population declining from 1.2 million in the early 1990s to an estimated 140,000 today. The penguins are part of the American Zoo & Aquarium Association's Species Survival Plan (SSP), designed to monitor and breed a population of endangered animals to ensure their survival.

Fascinating animals African penguins are friendly and inquisitive and engage in a variety of behaviors. To move around, penguins hop, waddle, scurry and swim. Although they can't fly in the air, they can "fly" under water, reaching speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. They also have an elaborate communication language, and can often be seen braying (a sound resembling a donkey), flapping their flippers or wings, and nest building. Most of us think of penguins as living in Arctic regions; however, only 7 of the 17 species of penguins actually exist in cold climates. Most live in tropical or temperate areas, like South America, New Zealand, or Australia. And while many cartoons feature penguins and polar bears together, they never actually see each other in the wild: penguins are found only in areas from the Antarctic to the tropical Galapagos Islands, while polar bears exist, well, at the poles. The New Jersey State Aquarium is located on the Delaware River waterfront at 1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ. The Aquarium's operating hours are 9:30am - 4:30pm (weekdays) and 10:00am - 5:00pm (weekends). General admission is $10.95, but children, student and senior citizen discounts are available. Call 609-365-3300 with any questions.