SeaWorld San Diego Penguin Encounter closing?

Is San Antonio’s going to get the same fate soon it seems like it’s a similar age and designed to the one in San Diego and I can’t imagine if they are not willing to pay for a new one in San Diego. They wouldn’t pay for one in San Antonio
 
Great Argus said:
It was stated early in the thread that the alcids would be leaving too, although there's plenty of places they could go besides the other SeaWorld parks.
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Yes I meant I didn’t mean to speculate regarding where the alcids were headed off to, not whether or not they’ll be transferred entirely. Sorry if that wasn’t clear :). And yeah where they end up is anyone’s guess. Guess we’ll have to wait and see in November.

Jaxson said:
Is San Antonio’s going to get the same fate soon it seems like it’s a similar age and designed to the one in San Diego and I can’t imagine if they are not willing to pay for a new one in San Diego. They wouldn’t pay for one in San Antonio
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We don’t know these things yet, but just for the sake of answering they probably won’t close it anytime soon since the transfer of penguins from SWC will be enormous and likely overwhelming for the facility/facilities obtaining the birds. Losing SWC is already a setback for the population and closing another huge Penguin exhibit around the same time frame would reduce space for the SWC birds significantly. I’m not 100% sure about the quality of SWT’s Penguin exhibit, but I don’t think deciding to close it around the same time would be good.
 
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Sphenisciologist said:
I have been told by a keeper at St. Louis that we have recently received a Humboldt individual from SeaWorld San Diego. They also said that SWC is planning to phase out their Humboldts, so Magellanic penguins will likely be the ones that SWC keeps.
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For clarity, what is "SWC"?
 
Damn that kinda sucks... it was nice to be able to visit the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld and be able to see all three Spheniscus sp. found in captivity. I assume the Brandt's cormorant will end up in the same exhibit as the Magellanic penguins once the Humboldts move out.
 
Something to note is that the facility is more likely phasing the breeding colony of Humboldts BTS rather than the old individuals at Dolphin Point for public display, unless another zoo/aquarium is willing to take in elderly and infertile(?) penguins. Obviously once those individuals pass, the species would be phased out.
 
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peruvianbirdie said:
Something to note is that the facility is more likely phasing the breeding colony of Humboldts BTS rather than the old individuals at Dolphin Point for public display, unless another zoo/aquarium is willing to take in elderly and infertile(?) penguins. Obviously once those individuals pass, the species would be phased out.
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This is essentially the plan, to my understanding. Could change, who knows.
 
I have four questions
1) Penguin Encounter houses the Pygoscelis species as well as some Macaroni penguins as of now?
2) Will Penguin Encounter be fully closing by the end of August?
3) This was the only Antarctic/sub-antarctic (excluding Magellanics) exhibit in California unfortunately?
4) Odd/interesting how fast Orlando displayed the Emperors and Macaronis on exhibit, doesn’t it usually take about 30 days for penguins to quarantine? Unless Emperors are an exception and sensitive?

It is sad how San Diego was the city in all America to display the most species of penguins and possibly were the only place in CA to see Antarctic penguins.
 
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peruvianbirdie said:
1) Penguin Encounter houses the Pygoscelis species as well as some Macaroni penguins as of now?
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Sounds about right. I'm curious as to where the kings went, but I couldn't get any word.

I don't know the answer to your second question.

peruvianbirdie said:
3) This was the only Antarctic/sub-antarctic (excluding Magellanics) exhibit in California unfortunately?
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This is right.

peruvianbirdie said:
4) Odd/interesting how fast Orlando displayed the Emperors and Macaronis on exhibit, doesn’t it usually take about 30 days for penguins to quarantine? Unless Emperors are an exception and sensitive?
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In regards to the quarantine aspect, the AZA care manual does not say anything specific about emperors or macaronis not needing quarantine to my knowledge.

To be honest the entire situation of how and when the emperors were moved is a little bit weird to me to begin with; I don't wanna necessarily point fingers and call anybody careless but the way they were transported on a truck in summer heat (as @Great Argus has previously pointed out that that is questionable earlier in the thread - I understand the right precautionary measures were taken, but it still contributes to my skepticism) and putting them in an exhibit that is 15 degrees too hot for them to breed with seemingly no interest of cooling the exhibit, it's not super surprising to me they put them on display right away.
And again I don't intend to call anyone careless or come across that way but there are various things about the entire transfer that strike me as odd, considering we are talking about one of the rarest birds in the world with only 18 left in the entire country.
 
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peruvianbirdie said:
4) Odd/interesting how fast Orlando displayed the Emperors and Macaronis on exhibit, doesn’t it usually take about 30 days for penguins to quarantine? Unless Emperors are an exception and sensitive?
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Technically it was sort of an "in-house transfer", but the lack of quarantine is odd. They should have had some sort of quarantine before being put with the others. However the fact they are kept indoors under heavy ventilation perhaps moderates the need? Weird decision but I assume the veterinary risks were considered.

As to the thread topic in general - wait and watch.
 
I'm sure this has been addressed but I've somehow missed it in skimming through this thread - has there been any word on if Orlando is intended to be their more-or-less permanent home, or is this likely a temporary thing? I'm very eager to get to see these penguins, but it will likely be some time (probably something like 2 years) before I can justify a trip to Orlando.
 
biggest_dreamer said:
I'm sure this has been addressed but I've somehow missed it in skimming through this thread - has there been any word on if Orlando is intended to be their more-or-less permanent home, or is this likely a temporary thing? I'm very eager to get to see these penguins, but it will likely be some time (probably something like 2 years) before I can justify a trip to Orlando.
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Permanent from the sounds of things. I don't think they're going back to San Diego.
 
Jambo said:
Permanent from the sounds of things. I don't think they're going back to San Diego.
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Worth keeping in mind there has been no announcement from SeaWorld about what's going on with the building - we're still riding on what's being reported by a couple of individuals. The penguins have moved but there is no announcement of what's actually going on.
 
 
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