WHOA BABY!

FOUR baby penguins have hatched at Mississippi Aquarium!

Come SEA the little penguins for a limited time - Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00pm-1:45pm ONLY until the April 5, 2026!

Continuing to make waves for this critically endangered species!

Penguin Chicks 1, 2, 3, and 4 are doing well and so are the penguin parents!
Unfortunately, our penguins aren't on campus permanently yet (we're still fundraising for their on-campus habitat), but you can catch some of the adult members of the colony by booking a penguin encounter or come SEA the babies during the Sneak "PEEP" happening on weekends until April 5, 2026!

Stay tuned to our website and social platforms for updates on the Penguin Chicks as they grow and special announcements!
Remember - Annual Passholders always get the news FIRST!

HELP US MAKE PENGUIN POINTE A REALITY!

Penguin Pointe will be an ALL NEW building on campus, allowing guests to connect and learn about our feathered friends, the African Penguins!

We are SO close to our goal! YOU can help make it a reality.

DIVE in on the renderings below and explore the ways you can help make this special project come to life.

African Penguins are one of the most endangered penguin species and are in urgent need of conservation intervention. Our colony of African Penguins here at Mississippi Aquarium have an important job to act as ambassadors for their species. Caring for this species allows us to educate guests and spread their conservation message.

Penguins are a cute and charismatic species of seabird that is recognized by young and old throughout the world. Of the 18 species, more than half are found in warmer climate. Penguins can be found on every continent south of the equator from the Galapagos Islands to Peru, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. Mississippi Aquarium is home to a small colony of African Penguins. The African Penguin is found on the Southwest coast of South Africa and as far north as Namibia.

These beautiful birds are hard to miss on the beaches of Africa, distinguished by their striking black and white plumage and loud donkey-like bray. But the African Penguin is in crisis. Listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, there are less than 10,000 breeding pairs left in the wild, and the population is still in decline. Essentially, the African Penguin has declined 97% from its historic populations and it is predicted that the species could go extinct in South Africa by 2035.

For decades, the African Penguin has faced many issues resulting in population decline. Guano harvesting, egg collect, introduced predators, and marine population have historically been problematic for these penguins. Today, the African penguin’s biggest threats are habitat loss, overfishing, pollution including oil spills, and climate change.

We're just $1 Million away from the $9 Million needed for the on-campus habitat.

Every $1 helps us get closer to that goal and helps us be a part of the conservation efforts for this Critically Endangered species.

For more information on being a MAJOR part of Project Penguin, contact Whitney Sumrall, Director of Business Development, at wsumrall@msaquarium.org or (228) 241-1203.

MEET OUR
AFRICAN
PENGUIN
COLONY

THE ONE YEAR OLDS!

AND THE NEWEST ADDITIONS!