Meet the penguins at London Zoo

Penguin up close at Meet the Penguins experience

Getting to meet the penguins was by far one of the most entertaining encounters I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience. Have you seen how insanely charming they all are? What about those fluffy lil’ baby ones? Cute, right? And please let’s not forget the fact that penguins mate for life! I am sorry but that is just too adorable.

There is something special about these stunning animals that I’ve always found incredibly captivating. In fact, the Meet the Penguins experience at the London Zoo was part of my Ultimate London Bucket List for a really long time. So naturally, Sam and I couldn’t believe our luck when the amazing ZSL London Zoo team retweeted our Friday night escape to Zoo Nights and crowned us as the (ehem, ultimate) winners of that week’s Meet the Animals competition!

Meet the penguins at ZSL London Zoo

Humboldt penguins at London Zoo

A colony of Humboldt penguins call London Zoo’s Penguin Beach their home. In the wild, these splendid medium-sized aquatic birds live predominantly on the coasts of Peru and Chile and enjoy salt water and rocky landscapes. Penguin Beach tries to recreate exactly that – with plenty of nests and a 450,000 litre/1200 sqm penguin pool (the biggest one in England), this South American inspired oasis features a chick incubation area, a nursery and even a pool where the lil’ penguins can learn how to swim.

Penguins underwater at ZSL London Zoo

Penguins are all about that salt moana life. They absolutely love dipping into the large pool, especially when it is lunch time. Penguin Beach Live! shows visitors how these little cuties fly underwater to catch their yummy seafood every day. In fact, one for them takes place at 1.30pm, just moments before the daily Meet the Penguins experience starts.

Penguin pool at ZSL London Zoo

Meeting the penguins

From October to July, you can book access to a restricted area of Penguin Beach, where an expert zookeeper will introduce you to the curious penguins and answer all of your questions. With a maximum of 6 people per visits, the 20min experience provides an informative way to get to know more about these extraordinary animals.

You will soon realise how different they are to one another. In fact, penguins show really different personalities from the very beginning. Some are shy or won’t trust you straight away; others, on the other hand, are inquisitive and extremely interested. They all enjoy being pet and will hunt  all of your shiny possessions. And, if you are wearing a skirt or a dress like I did, they might cheekily try to get under it!

Penguins chasing light at ZSL London Zoo

Penguins at Meet the Penguins experience

Humboldt penguin at ZSL London Zoo

Meet the penguins recommendations

Try to make the most of your 20min visit. You don’t get to spend much with the lil’ ones so make sure you experience it to the fullest. Take as many pictures as you can, but always be respectable of the penguins. Like with any other animal, let them trust you first. Of course, don’t be afraid to ask the zoo keeper any questions that you may have, they will be your best guides! The penguins might decide to nibble your toes so it’s advised you wear closed toe shoes. Oh! And arrive 10-15min before the experience starts at 1.50pm (or be there beforehand to see the Penguin Beach Live!). Zoo entry tickets are not included in the experience, so make sure you have purchased separately.

Once the experience has finished, feel free to spend the rest of your day exploring London Zoo. It’s a lovely place and is full of wonders all over. Live talks take place daily and you get the opportunity to see and learn about other animals as well – like we did with this cheeky giraffe!

Giraffe sticking out its tongue at ZSL London Zoo

If you could meet any animal which one would it be? Have you been on a Meet the Animals experience before? Let us know in the comments below!

G.x

ZSL London ZooRegent’s Park, NW1 4RY, London
www.zsl.org/meet-the-penguins


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34 comments

  1. Alexx

    Sounds like such a fun experience; I’m jealous. So glad you enjoyed it.xx

    angelwingsandpetticoats.com

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      I couldn’t recommend it enough! Let me know if you try it 🙂 x

      Reply

    2. Julie

      I absolutely loved this post and it has definitely inspired me to make my own wee bucket list. I absolutely adore Penguins, and it was so good to read all your tips and your photos were great. This has really made my day! Julie aka Mamabear x

      Reply

      1. blushrougette

        Awe thanks Julie, that is so lovely of you! x

        Reply

  2. Jane Palmen

    What an amazing thing to do. Great tips for others lucky enough to try the experience. Super photos too!

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      Thanks Jane 🙂

      Reply

  3. Louisa

    London Zoo is such a wonderful place. It’s so friendly and fun. I love going there.

    Louisa | http://www.loubeeloublogs.co.uk

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      Same! I never get bored of going there 🙂 x

      Reply

  4. Abi

    Awww they are so cute jealous 😱
    Abi xx
    https://simple-joys.blog

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      It was so much fun, I honestly can’t recommend it enough! x

      Reply

  5. Louise

    Aww looks amazing! Great post x

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      Thank you 🙂 x

      Reply

  6. Hanna Mai

    Great post! I love your photos, the penguins are so cute! x

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      Awe thank you! x

      Reply

  7. Cordelia Moor

    I love penguins SO much. I’ve never been to London Zoo, despite having lived here for several years now, and I must go! If only to see those cheeky little guys. Lovely post and amazing photos.

    Cordelia || cordeliamoor.com

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      Thank you 🙂 It really is a magical place, I love it there! Definitely a must x

      Reply

  8. Jessica French

    I spent some time on placement with ZSL, they’re a super great but! So passionate and knowledgeable! So glad you had a great experience with them!

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      Awe thank you! I had so much fun with their little guys, I wanted to adopt one! x

      Reply

  9. Charlotte Jessop

    My first thought was “my kids will love this!” Then I realised that I’d love it too. Forget the kids! 😆

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      Hahaha I love your comment! Trust me, it’s so much fun, you’ll love it! x

      Reply

  10. Emma

    I love penguins so much ! I hope you had a fantastic day at zoo babe
    https://intouchwithemmy19.wordpress.com/2018/08/23/wild-wild-wild-park/

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      It was amazing! I couldn’t recommend it enough 🙂 x

      Reply

  11. lauren

    How cute! This looks like so much fun!

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      It is! You need to try it 🙂

      Reply

  12. Nic | https://nicbakes.blogspot.com/

    Sounds like you had an amazing experience, meeting the animals. I would like to meet the Giraffes and Lions as well as the Penguins they also do the same experience at Whipsnade to, which is nearer to me

    Nic | Nic’s Adventures & Bakes

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      I would be scared to meet the lions, sounds like a dangerous experience if they are offering it!

      Reply

  13. Emily

    This sounds like so much fun!!! Ugh, I wish I lived in London. I wouldn’t have been able to pick between the penguins, rain forest animals, or giraffes! But I’m glad you picked the penguins because they are adorable and you got the best pictures ever!! At an aquarium in my area, they have a penguin experience where you can meet them, but a friend of mine went and apparently the penguins they have there are pretty….ornery, I think is the nicest way to put it. Haha! But your penguins sounded sweet!!

    This was such a fun post to read!!! Love your blog and your content!

    xo Emily

    https://www.thatweirdgirllife(dot)com

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      Awe thanks so much for leaving a comment Emily! I’m a big fan of penguins so it was easy when it came to deciding which animals to meet haha! They’re incredibly sweet and really interested in people so it makes it really fun to interact with them! x

      Reply

    2. Ellie

      I’ve wanted to do one of those experiences at the Zoo for ages! I always thought I wanted to do the meerkat one but now, this looks too cute to not meet the penguins! X

      Reply

      1. blushrougette

        Haha, it wasn’t hard for me to decide at all, I love penguins! x

        Reply

  14. Chloe

    Ahhh this is the cutest!! I would love to do something like this!!

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      You absolutely should, it’s awesome how much you can learn from animals!

      Reply

  15. Karen Lanzetta

    What an amazing experience!
    I always love meeting any animals, especially birds. Having a hard time choosing a specific one.
    At home we have plenty of squirrels to meet, which are both cute and annoying 😉

    Karen | https://OurCarpeDiem.com

    Reply

    1. blushrougette

      Birds are cool too! I recently got to meet an owl and it was quite amusing!

      Reply

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