San Francisco enjoys march of the penguins
Sunday, July 28, 2013, 1:33 PM - It was a graduation of a different kind for a colony of penguins at the San Francisco Zoo Saturday, as five of the playful creatures graduated from "fish school" to a new home.
It was the biggest march of their young lives, a crowd of 700 people gathered at the San Francisco Zoo to watch five Magellanic penguins graduate from "Fish School."
The annual march occurs after new chicks experience water for the first time and become comfortable swimming.
When the swim test has been passed, they're ready to graduate to Penguin Island.
Once there, they'll spend the rest of their lives with 48 other penguins in the world's largest captive Magellanic penguin colony.
After the march, Penguin Island will be the new home of the five Fish School graduates @sfzoo pic.twitter.com/VEXaorYnXR
— Neal J. Riley (@realdealneal) July 27, 2013
The penguins were initially shy as the march began, with hundreds of people creating a distraction.
The 2 month-old colony soon looked comfortable amongst the crowd and happily followed Penguin Keeper Anthony Brown to their new home.
Training the penguins to adapt to water only occurred a week prior, but all passed their test with flying colours.
A naming contest was also held for the one male baby in this year's colony.
In keeping with the royal baby theme this month, he will now be known as George Alexander Louis.
The couple who submitted the name won an up-close visit with the colony on the island.
Penguin Chicks Learn to Fish at San Francisco Zoo https://t.co/2XNvoGgFpG pic.twitter.com/HQ0HgiglAH
— Mexicana (@mondavill) July 26, 2013
