London Aquarium will close its basement penguin enclosure, which lacks fresh air or daylight, within two years, moving the colony of 14 gentoo penguins to a larger and deeper pool with daylight at the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham in 2028.
Campaign victory and planned upgrade
Merlin Entertainments, which owns both facilities, will submit its proposal to the local authority imminently. Reconstruction of the Birmingham site is set to begin next year, with the animals there being relocated while work gets under way. Merlin Entertainments expects to spend £2.5 million on the upgrade.
Aquarium bosses confirmed to the Express that the firm will not hike tickets to fund these improvements. The Express joined forces with Freedom for Animals and the Born Free Foundation in 2024 to demand that aquarium bosses give a better life to its penguins.
Reactions from campaign groups
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.”
She added: “While the planned improvements at Sea Life Birmingham are positive, these penguins deserve far more than a lifetime behind barriers. Crucially, Merlin's landmark commitment to end breeding means no further generations of gentoo penguins will be born into captivity at its facilities.”
New facility details and future plans
The new facility, expected to hold a total of 30 penguins when completed, will be 115 square metres – a rise from Birmingham enclosure’s current 70-square-metre habitat. 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.
The improved enclosure will become a research centre, with specialised observational technology to monitor the animals’ welfare. Some of the birds, which are as young as three, face up to 30 years in the renovated enclosure.
Dr 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.”
He added: “Because of Merlin’s commitment to end breeding, this will be the last generation of gentoo penguins in Merlin’s care. Common sense and compassion have prevailed, the welfare of the penguins has been prioritised, and Born Free looks forward to continuing to engage with this project to help deliver the best possible outcome for the birds.”
In a statement, Merlin Entertainments said: “Merlin 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.”
The statement continued: “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.”
