Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Oceans
ABout Gentoo Penguin

THE GENTOO PENGUINS’ PADDLE-SHAPED FLIPPERS PROPEL THEM THROUGH THE WATER AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 22 MILES AN HOUR — FASTER THAN ANY OTHER DIVING BIRD.

An adult gentoo may make 450 or more dives a day foraging for food. Gentoo penguins have red-orange beaks, white-feather caps and peach-colored feet.

Penguin Cam

Watch the Penguins Live!

Oceans Stamp
FACTS & STATISTICS
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average size
30 inches tall, weighs 12 pounds
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native region
Antarctic Peninsula
Asset 7
eating habits
Fish
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Conservation status
Near threatened
Come see for yourself.

Look no further. Connect with our amazing animals and learn about the wild places they come from.

WHERE ARE THEY AT THE ZOO?
The Gentoo Penguin is located in the Oceans Exhibit.
View Map View Oceans
Presented by Dippin Dots
Penguin Feed Demonstration
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Watch Unique Interactions with our Animal Care Team

Have you ever seen a penguin “fly” underwater? They are FAST — darting, turning on a dime and heading as quickly as possible for their “fishy” targets. Join the Oceans aquarists for a chat about our penguins and a demonstration of their superior fishing skills as they dive for their dinner. Be sure to look at the third viewing window under your feet to see these skillful swimmers shoot through the water! You’ll learn more about these amazing aquatic birds and the challenges they face in the wild.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCES
Animal Art Adventure

Talk about happy feet — our penguins can not only keep the beat, they can also create beautiful art! A Penguin Art Adventure will take participants behind the scenes in Oceans, where they will meet a penguin, learn about some of the things that make these marine birds unique in the bird world, and receive their own penguin art! This program is available from April through September.

Learn More
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCES
Penguins News
Learn more about Penguin
Protector of Penguins Earns World’s Leading Award for Animal Conservation
Protector of Penguins Earns World’s Leading Award for Animal Conservation

published May 16, 2023   Today officials from the Indianapolis Zoological Society Inc. announced Pablo Borboroglu, Ph.D. as the 2023...

Three Chicks Join Penguin Flock
Three Chicks Join Penguin Flock

Published Jan. 7, 2021 We’re excited to welcome the arrival of three adorable Gentoo penguin chicks, hatched in December 2020!...

Penguin Breeding Behavior
Penguin Breeding Behavior

The official start of winter is just a few weeks away in Central Indiana, but a very different season is...