Penguin Playhouse

Derby

As Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies' first hatched chick, Derby is near and dear to our hearts! He was hand-reared by our keepers and is usually found on their laps during feedings. Debry likes to go on walks around the Aquarium with his mate, Noel!

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Tara

Tara is material girl living in a material world! Just below the black brand on her chest that all African penguins have, Tara has a spot that makes it look like she is wearing a necklace with a big jewel. She likes to snoop around other penguins' nest boxes, looking for stuff to add to her own nest!

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Suzie

Suzie is one of our African penguins actually from South Africa! She previously lived at SeaWorld in Durban. A ray of light, Suzie is usually referred to as "Sunny" by the keepers. You can spot her by the two black spots on the right side of her neck!

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Nick

Nick has a long beak and he's not afraid to use it! He is very protective of his personal space and will nip at anyone who gets too close (except for his mate, Mandoza, and children, Nelson and Moana). This habit might come from growing up in a large family, including brother Mikey and sister Leo.

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Frank

Frank has been around the block! Before Ripley's, he lived at the Jackson Zoo, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, and New Orleans' Aquarium of the Americas! He likes it here and has called Gatlinburg his home since 2010. Frank even goes on walks through the aquarium with his keeper friends!

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Mikey

Mikey is a distinguished gentleman with distinguishing features! You can spot him by his large, bulging eyes and the light second band under his neck. Rather than crowd the keeper during feeding time, he politely stands off to the side and waits to have his food thrown to him.

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Hala

Hala is one of Ripley's best penguin artists. She loves to interact with guests and dive into penguin painting session with her keepers. Most of the time, she can be found hanging out with her mate, Koko - the two were actually hatched at the same facility only a day apart!

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Noel

Noel got her festive name because she was born on the eve of Christmas Eve! She was hand-reared and still loves to spend time with her keepers. You can usually find her with her mate, Derby, in their nest box right next to the window.

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Mandoza

Mandoza loves food almost as much as she loves her mate, Nick, and their children, Nelson and Moana. She will snag fish right out of other penguins' mouths and has earned the nickname "Bulldozer", or just "Doza", for the sheer amount of food she is able to down and her forceful means of acquiring fish.

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David

David is the older brother of Glenn, with whom he shares his smaller stature and chocolate brown eyes. To him, there is no place like home. While he enjoys going on walks around the Aquarium and making Penguin Paintings, he makes sure no one gets near his nest - not even the keeper during feeding time!

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Joe

An outdoorsman, Joe relocated to the Great Smoky Mountains from Idaho Falls in 2010. He loves to explore outside of his exhibit and go on hikes around the Aquarium with his keepers. You can spot Joe by the second band of black that goes almost all the way across his neck!

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Nelson

Nelson is the second chick hatched at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. He is always surrounded by family: Nick (Dad), Mandoza (Mom), Leo (Aunt), Mikey (Uncle), and Moana (Sister). Good thing, too, because sometimes Nelson needs to be put in his place. He never wants to return to his exhibit - time for mom and dad to step in!

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Luke

Son of Glenn and brother to Leia, Luke is a force to be reckoned with. He is especially protective of his area near the keeper room door. Besides that, he is very social, likes going on walks around the aquarium with the staff, and enjoys making masterpieces during Penguin Painting Experiences!

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Koko

Koko is one of the largest males in the colony and can usually be found staking claim nearby or in his nest box. King of his castle, he'll usually try to shoo keepers away when they walk by and loves to collect rocks for his mate, Hala!

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Jerry

As the oldest bird in the colony, this '90s kid has things figured out! Jerry spends his time in the Penguin Playhouse relaxing and napping in the sun. When it's time to eat, he lets the younger penguins crowd the keeper and simply waits for the food to be brought to him.

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Nthanda

Meaning 'star' in the African language of Tumbuka, Nthanda is always ready for her close up! She loves meeting guests and snapping selfies at the Penguin Encounter, but make sure to take plenty of photos paparazzi-style - she's a mover and a shaker! When she isn't walking the red carpet, she can usually be found trying to sneak into the keeper room when we aren't looking!

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Leia

Born at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Leia is one of the sweetest birds we have. She is always trying to get attention from both the keepers and our guests! Wave to her when she swims by she'll be sure to stop and say "Hello!"

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Peter

Peter is an even-tempered penguin but is also a bit stubborn! During feedings, he is usually right in front of the feeder - even if he doesn't want to eat! He is also very protective of his nest box. You can usually find him collecting rocks for it!

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Glenn

Glenn is tiny, but mighty! He is not a fan of being handled and will use his oily, waterproof feathers to his advantage as he tries to wriggle away. During feeding time, he likes to get face-to-face with the keepers, using his big brown eyes to ask for more fish.

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Maureen

Maureen is a hand-raised penguin and very friendly toward her keepers. She is one of our most interactive birds and tries to get into the keeper room whenever possible to hang out with her human friends. One of our shorter penguins, she is pretty sneaky and can sometimes get away with it!

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Fleury

When in the Playhouse, Fleury spends most of her time near her nest box with her mate, Peter. That is, except for feeding time, when she gets so excited that she tries to climb the keeper! Outside of the Playhouse, she is a social butterfly who loves exploring the aquarium and making Penguin Paintings.

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Giselle

Giselle and her sister Fleury were born here at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. She is positively smitten with her mate, Luke, but will get jealous if you give him more attention than her! When she's not with Luke, she enjoys walks outside of the Playhouse and socializing with the keepers.

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Moana

One of our most adventurous penguins, Moana loves getting out of her exhibit to meet the other animals at the Aquarium! She's also very competitive. During feeds, if she is in the water to eat, she will race to each fish to capture them before the others.

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Smoky

Born at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Smoky is as sweet as the Smoky Mountain air! He loves hanging out with the Animal Care Team and will follow them around whenever he can. When he’s not following staff around, he loves chowing down on his favorite snack, anchovies, with his parents Leia and Mikey.

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