The Sea Life London Aquarium is set to close its gentoo penguin habitat, with the colony to be relocated to a larger enclosure at the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham in 2028.
Campaigners have been calling for the release of 14 gentoo penguins at the aquarium as part of the 'Free the 15' campaign, led by Freedom for Animals with support from Born Free and the Daily Express newspaper.
The aquarium was home to 15 gentoo penguins before one of them, Ratchet, died earlier this year at the age of 31.
The gentoo penguins' new space in Birmingham will include a larger and deeper pool, as well as daylight, the Daily Express reports.
At the Sea Life London Aquarium, the pool is just six to seven feet deep, but in the wild, gentoo penguins can reach speeds of 22 mph and dive to depths of more than 600 feet.
Gentoo penguins at the Sea Life London Aquarium to get a new home with more space and natural light Merlin
Merlin Entertainments, which owns both aquariums, plans to start reconstructing the Birmingham site in 2027, with the work expected to cost £2.5 million.
In a statement to the Daily Express, Merlin said it will "shortly submit formal plans to the local authority after which, subject to approvals, works are expected to commence in 2027, with the colony anticipated to move into its new home during 2028".
Merlin added: "The timing of the move will be guided by the needs of the penguins, with their welfare remaining our most important consideration.
"When the move takes place, the gentoo habitat at London will close, and the vacated space will be repurposed in support of Sea Life’s conservation priorities.
“The Sea Life team continues to provide expert care to the colonies in both UK locations while preparations for the move progress."
Work to start in 2027
The new 115-square-metre habitat in Birmingham will house a total of 30 penguins. The deep end of the expanded pool will be 3.5 times the size of the current London pool and 4.1 times the size of Birmingham's pool.
Laura Walton, co-director of Freedom for Animals, said: “We welcome the eventual closure of Sea Life London's basement enclosure. Throughout our joint campaign, we called for the penguins to be moved to a sanctuary or facility with outdoor access, but sadly no feasible option was identified.
“While the planned improvements at Sea Life Birmingham are positive, these penguins deserve far more than a lifetime behind barriers."
Mark Jones, head of policy at the Born Free Foundation, said: "It has been quite a journey. From the much-criticised basement environment in London to a significantly expanded and environmentally enriched enclosure in Birmingham – but nearly a year of careful and thoughtful discussion has paid off."
Merlin previously confirmed it will stop breeding gentoo penguins at the Sea Life sites in London and Birmingham.
