Melo Villareal
Penguin Encounter at Ocean Park Hong Kong
One of my fondest memories when we visited Ocean Park Hong Kong is when we had our Penguin Encounter. Before this and my last visit, my only experience with penguins is the dancing arctic animals of the famous animated film Happy Feet. Penguins are adorable on TV—and this is very true, and much more, when you see some in real life.
IN OPHK, we got a ticket to the Penguin Encounter, a park activity that allows guests to interact with the resident penguins. It was my first time seeing penguins up close. Last time, I was only able to see the penguins waddling behind a glass viewing window, and, considering how I only ever got to watch them from afar (and in TV), the activity made me so excited.
Before we started with the activity, we gathered at the holding area outside for a briefing. We met with the Head Penguin Keeper, who gave us a backgrounder on the penguins that they have in the park, as well as other precautionary measures that we had to observe when we enter the premises.
Taking pictures and bringing gadgets were not allowed, so we deposited everything, including our shoes, at our designated lockers. Afterwards, we wore the provided protective clothing, which included boots, surgical gloves, and a thick protective jacket that were to keep us warm in the 8 degrees celcious activity venue.
We started our tour by understanding how the professional keepers take care of their designated penguins. They explained how they check each and every penguin’s health regularly.
There were more than 60 adorable penguins, who were identified with a bracelet they wore on one flipper.
There was a mix of three penguin species: King Penguins, Rockhoppers, and Gentoo Penguins. We were told some tips on how to find out which species is which.
King Penguins were mostly the largest ones in the venue. They had long pointed beaks and an orange chest. The keepers told us that they the second biggest species of penguins, with emperor penguins (like Mumble) being the largest.
The Rockhoppers stood out a lot. Think of Lovelace from Happy Feet—the yellow hair that looks like large and fuzzy eyebrows are their main distinguishing feature.
Lastly, we were taught that the Gentoo penguins are those that had white stripes on their head and had the longest tails.
But it didn’t matter which species was which: all three penguin species waddled towards us and flocked to our area when we were given a cooler full of fresh fish. They were so eager to eat!
When the cooler of fish was halfway gone, the trainer told us to clap three times before holding our arm straight. It was a command that made the penguins jump into the water and swim away, satiated from the fish we just fed them with.
We were given the chance to have a photo of us taken with one of the penguins afterward.
It was an amazing, fun, and memorable experience seeing them waddle up close while making their distinct, high pitched, squawking noises. It was truly one of the highlights of my recent Ocean Park Hong Kong trip.
Ocean Park Hong Kong Penguin Encounter Packages
Book Online and Get Discounted Rates via Klook.com
Package Tour Include:
- Meet the resident king penguins, southern rockhoppers and gentoo penguins of Ocean Park.
- Give the penguin keeper a helping hand with meal time and the daily care of the penguins.
Also See:
- Celebrating the Yuletide Season in Ocean Park Hong Kong
- Christmas-themed Menu now available at Ocean Park Hong Kong Restaurants
- Ocean Park Hong Kong Attractions Guide Christmas 2017
