Remarkable African Penguin Turns 30 Years Old at the New England Aquarium

Penguins might just be the cutest birds ever.

From their childlike size to the way they waddle around and randomly squawk, there's just something about them that this writer has always loved.

If you're looking to see penguins here in New England, there's no better place to go than the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts.

According to their website, the famous aquarium is home to 50+ penguins, mainly African penguins and southern rockhopper penguins (if you can't see them in person, you can check them out via this live cam). One of said penguins, Halifax, recently celebrated a very special birthday milestone, and turned 30 years old.

If you're thinking "Wait...penguins can live to be 30 years old?", you're not alone. As it turns out, that's quite the impressive lifespan for these birds. The below Facebook post explains that while African penguins typically live 10-15 years in the wild, Halifax's circumstances have allowed him to live an extra long and healthy life. The independent penguin has helped raise several chicks, has a partner named Saldanha II, and enjoys eating fish and hanging out "on the same rock island."

So what's a typical day in the life for Halifax and the other penguins at the New England Aquarium? The aquarium's website explains that,

Each penguin in our care has a unique bracelet on one of their wings to help identify them; females’ bracelets are on their right wing, males’ are on their left. Penguin volunteers and trainers give talks inside the exhibit twice a day: 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

The schedule coincide with the birds' daily feed times, which are undoubtedly fun to watch.

Anyway, we're all wishing the happiest of birthdays to Halifax, and hope this next decade treats him well.