By MC Claverie, Features Editor
Across the United States and the world, museums and tourist attractions have been forced to close to the public temporarily due to the coronavirus. Many museums and cultural centers such as the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Opera in New York are providing streaming services to the public so people can still enjoy museum exhibits. Recently, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois has joined this trend.
Shedd is a research institution and animal hospital that also focuses on conservation work. Inhabitants of Shedd range from jellyfish to stingrays to beluga whales. However, the stars of Shedd are the penguins.
Because Shedd is currently not open to the public, the staff has allowed the rockhopper penguins a chance to explore the rest of the aquarium. These penguins have visited other parts of the museum including an exhibit of the Amazon Rising, which houses various fish from the Amazon river in South America, the information kiosk and even had the chance to see beluga whales!
These rockhopper penguins are native to the South American coast, which means that most would never have the chance to interact with fish from the Amazon or Beluga whales that are native to colder waters. Besides being adorable, these interactions have allowed the penguins to explore a habitat they would not normally get the chance to.
Click here to watch the penguins! https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/03/31/shedd-aquarium-penguins-field-trip-beluga-whales/
