World's Smallest Penguins Make Splash at San Diego Aquarium

Little blue penguins, the smallest species of penguin in the world, have been added to the roster of animals at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, San Diego.

Also known as fairy penguins, these tiny penguins are less than one foot tall, and weigh a mere two to three pounds. They are native to the Southern Hemisphere, usually being found across rocky and sandy shores in southern Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.

This new display, located at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, will be the first time the species has been on display at a zoo in the Western U.S.

The only other U.S. colonies can be found at the New England Aquarium in Boston, the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky, Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio, and the Bronx Zoo in New York.

The group of penguins will live in a 2,900 square-foot habitat exhibit, including a rocky and sandy shore area and an 18,000-gallon pool. The exhibit has been named the Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins habitat, after a family who donated a $1 million gift to the aquarium.

"We're thrilled to welcome this colony of 15 penguins to our Birch family," said Kayla Strate, lead penguin aquarist, in a statement. "The birds are happy, thriving and adapting nicely to their new surroundings. Eventually, we're hoping the penguins will form a successful breeding colony."

These little penguins are known for their minute stature and their large personalities, making a lot of noise, especially at night. They are hunted by predatory birds like gulls and sheathbills, and also rats, dogs and cats.

The penguins are also at risk from several human-derived threats, including plastic fishing waste and other plastic marine pollution, which causes the birds to choke. As a result, the populations of little blue penguins have been falling in New South Wales and South Australia, with about 69 percent of colony sites having fewer than 100 breeding individuals.

On July 12, the unique penguin exhibit was officially opened by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and members of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The little blue penguin display at Birch is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plans program, which is a collaborative international effort to protect and research certain species.

"San Diego residents, including myself, have enjoyed many memorable moments at Birch Aquarium, and I am certain that there will be many more in store after today's opening," said Gloria at the opening ceremony. "This extraordinary new space will allow the aquarium to attract even more guests from across the county and beyond, and inspire them to protect the wonders of our ocean."