Freedom for Animals is a UK charity dedicated to advocating on behalf of animals used in the entertainment sector. We are petitioning Sea Life and its parent company Merlin Entertainments to end their exploitation of penguins.
Following consultation with experts in the field, we are asking that:
1. Merlin Entertainments ceases the exhibition of penguins with IMMEDIATE effect.
2. SEA LIFE uses some of its parent company's multi billion annual revenue to guarantee a safe retirement to sanctuary for the penguins which it is currently displaying. Any sanctuary which is established MUST be operated by a recognised and respected welfare and conservation organisation which is NOT part of the Merlin global brand and in which SEA LIFE has NO controlling interest.
Sea Life London Aquarium currently has a colony of 15 gentoo penguins who are housed in a basement. Many of these animals have been there for their entire lives and, without compassionate intervention to secure their release, they may never see the light of day. Gentoo penguins are the strongest swimmers and the deepest divers of all birds, yet their enclosure offers just 6-7 feet of depth in which to dive - a pitiful fraction of the 600ft they can dive to in the wild. They are a small colony, in a tiny enclosure, that does not meet their physical and social needs and does not allow them to enjoy their natural behaviours. Added to this, the constant public observation and noise has the capacity to cause serious stress and adverse health effects.
Penguins are inherently wild animals that flourish in their natural habitats. Gentoo penguins are currently doing well in the wild and at present their population levels are listed as of 'Least Concern' by the IUCN Red List. Therefore, the breeding programmes that Sea Life is undertaking with this species is very clearly not motivated by conservation (as promotional material would claim), but simply to provide generations of unconsenting exhibits for an exploitative attraction. There is growing support from the public for the ethical treatment of animals. The incarceration and breeding of penguins, a species beloved by many, for no other reason than profiting from their exhibition, is not something in which a modern and progressive business should be engaged.
This is an achievable goal considering Sea Life's relocation of two beluga whales who were being forced to perform in one of their attractions in Shanghai in 2019, not to mention the frequent movement of Gentoo penguins for breeding purposes. One Gentoo currently housed in London, Fry, has already travelled thousands of miles, from Melbourne, to Denmark, then Birmingham, followed by London. We seek a future for Fry and all the penguins in Merlin Entertainments attractions, where they may be assessed by professionals for one final move to a suitable sanctuary, and allowed to live out the rest of their natural lives in fresh air and daylight.
