Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Fakieh Aquarium, one of the popular attractions offered by Tarfeeh Fakieh, has proudly welcomed the latest residents of Jeddah – eight Humboldt penguins who now live in their beautiful penguin tank which opened to the public on Jan. 29.

“Everyone loves these adorable birds and we are delighted to bring the first ever group of penguins to Saudi Arabia,” said Zaki Sadayo, executive manager of the aquarium. “After their long journey from Peru they are now happily settled in their new home at Fakieh Aquarium where we care for them with love and affection, and where they will delight children and adults alike with their irresistible cuteness.”

At the unveiling of the new penguin tank, Ms. Sara Al-Ghamdi, head of education at Fakieh Aquarium, informed the attendees that the eight Humboldt penguins were born in Peru and range in age from two to four years. Their previous home was the Parque Zoologico de Huachipa, where they were cared by the zoo keepers since their birth.

Humboldt penguins can live for 15 to 20 years and can grow as high as 70 cm and weigh from 3.5 to 6 kg. The species is native to South America, mainly to the coasts of Chile and Peru. They have feathers that protect them from the weather and among birds are the ones that have the biggest concentration of feathers per square centimeter.

Fakieh Aquarium has put great care and effort into designing and building an ideal home for these new residents, taking more than a year to create a world class exhibit utilizing the experience of different fields of expertise by national and international civil engineers, biologists, veterinarians and specialists in Life Support Systems from four continents.

In addition to the penguins, families can enjoy the amazing Dolphin and Sea Lion show every day.

Fakieh Aquarium contains more than 200 species including sharks, groupers, sting rays, napoleon wrasse, sea horses and jellyfish among many others brought from other seas and oceans around the world.

It is the only aquarium for the public in Saudi Arabia and offers edutainment — education and entertainment for all members of the family. Group visits are especially welcome and todate the aquarium has hosted around 35,000 students from 192 schools and more than 600 children with special needs from 10 care centers.

Driven by a commitment to elevating the quality of domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia and with its main focus on making Saudi families happier, Tarfeeh Fakieh provides residents and visitors to Jeddah with leisure, comfort and relaxation by delivering a diverse range of best in class tourist attractions that are designed for the enjoyment of guests of all ages, from children to adults, in a safe and healthy environment.