Aussie penguins take flight for England after Sea Life closure

A group of Sydney penguins are preparing to fly to England after saying goodbye to their Manly home.

The penguins of Manly's Sea Life Sanctuary are relocating to England.

The penguins of Manly's Sea Life Sanctuary are relocating to England. Source: Facebook/Manly Sea Life Sanctuary

Armani, Clarence and Lisa are among 20 little penguins preparing to take off to their new base in England after their former Sydney home, the Manly Sea Life Sanctuary, was closed.

The little penguins are some of the 2000 sea creatures being relocated to other Sea Life businesses after the Manly aquarium shut its doors for the last time in late January.
The penguins were much-loved by Sydneysiders.
The penguins were much-loved by Sydneysiders. Source: Facebook/Manly Sea Life Sanctuary
Manly Sea Life spokesman Rob Townsend said the little penguins will be hitching a ride as cargo on a passenger plane headed to Weymouth Sea Life in the next couple of weeks.

"There is plenty of space to waddle about and an indoor pool," Mr Townsend told AAP when describing the penguins' new digs the English seaside aquarium.

"But a lot of locals (in Sydney) are sad to see them to go. We will miss all the animals."

Mr Townsend said Armani, with his slick dark blue and white coat, was quite the ladies' bird during his time in the little penguin colony in Manly.

"He was quite a prolific breeder," Mr Townsend said.

"He would always have lots of clutches of eggs every year."
The farewell image posted on Facebook by Manly Sea Life Sanctuary.
The farewell image posted on Facebook by Manly Sea Life Sanctuary. Source: Facebook/Manly Sea Life Sanctuary
Grey nurse sharks Huey, Palace and Patchy were the first animals to leave Manly Sea Life when they were transported last week in a mobile aquarium on the back of a semi-trailer to the Sunshine Coast.

Mr Townsend, who has worked at the aquarium for the last 13 years, said his favourite resident was Wilbur the octopus, who will be heading to Sydney's Darling Harbour aquarium with turtles Mertle, Dave and Chong.

"They (the octopuses) are a bit more intelligent," Mr Townsend said.

The rest of the sea creatures - including stingrays, reptiles and smaller fish - will be split between Sea Life's aquariums on at Darling Harbour, on the Sunshine Coast and in Melbourne.

The Manly Sea Life aquarium announced in 2017 it would be closing because the ageing building was no longer viable.


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