SeaWorld Orlando Welcomes the Western Hemisphere's Only Emperor Penguins
SeaWorld Orlando is turning heads—and flippers—this summer with the arrival of the world's largest and most iconic penguin species. Starting June 14, 2025, guests will have the rare opportunity to see Emperor penguins up close inside the park's newly enhanced Antarctica Realm. This makes SeaWorld Orlando the only place in the Western Hemisphere where the public can view these incredible birds.
Annual Pass Members will get an exclusive sneak peek on June 12 and 13, offering early access before the grand debut to the general public.
Native to Antarctica, Emperor penguins are well-known for their towering height, striking black and white plumage, and incredible diving skills. To support their specialized needs, SeaWorld has upgraded the habitat to simulate their natural environment—including maintaining frigid temperatures of 28°F and mimicking Antarctic light cycles.
The penguins relocated from SeaWorld San Diego, which has led Emperor penguin care and breeding efforts for over 40 years. The move underscores SeaWorld's commitment to conservation and its legacy of wildlife care.
'This is an incredibly rare and exciting opportunity for guests to encounter one of nature's most extraordinary species,' said Jon Peterson, Park President of SeaWorld Orlando.
Penguins Take Over Orlando with 'Big City Penguins' Art Installation
To celebrate the debut, SeaWorld partnered with Creative City Project to unveil Big City Penguins, a temporary public art installation featuring three larger-than-life Emperor penguins in Downtown Orlando. On display through June 19, the exhibit brings whimsical energy to the city and invites fans to snap photos and share their excitement online. Fast Facts about Emperor Penguins Size: Up to 44 inches tall
Weight: 60–90 pounds
Lifespan: 20–25 years in the wild; up to 50 in care
Range: Circumpolar Antarctica
Status: Near Threatened (IUCN)
Janine is a theme park and pop culture nerd from an early age. Since 1994, she's been traversing the theme park world and has enjoyed all things from Halloween events to new ride releases and beyond. When she's not at a theme park, she's probably at a concert or doing something fun with her kiddo.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
20 minutes ago
- Forbes
‘Elio' Has Worst Opening Weekend Ever For A Disney-Pixar Movie
A scene from "Elio." The new animated sci-fi adventure Elio is has set a new record low for a Disney-Pixar movie. Starring the voices of Zoe Saldaña, Brad Garrett and Yonas Kibreab (as the title character), Elio opened in theaters domestically on Friday. Like many of its Pixar predecessors, Elio arrived with positive reviews from Rotten Tomatoes critics with an 86% 'fresh' rating based on 105 reviews, which as of Sunday has dropped to 84% 'fresh' with 137 reviews counted. RT users loved Elio even more, as the film to date has earned a 91% 'fresh' Popcornmeter score based on 500-plus verified user ratings. But as Sunday's weekend box office numbers show, great reviews and enthusiastic audience vibes don't automatically translate into big ticket sales. According to Deadline, the PG-rated Elio is projected to earn $21 million from 3,750 North American theaters in its opening Friday to Sunday frame for a No. 3 finish behind another PG film, How to Train Your Dragon ($37 million), and the R-rated 28 Years Later ($30 million). Unfortunately for Disney-Pixar, the $21 million opening is far below the previous lowest opening number for the studio, which came in 2023 when Elemental earned $29.6 million from 4,035 North American theaters. Elio even opened with less domestically than Pixar's first feature, Toy Story, which grossed $29.1 million from 2,574 theaters in 1995. Adding insult to the film's box office injury, Elio had a production budget of $150 million before prints and advertising costs, according to The Numbers. One thing worth noting is that there have been other Disney-Pixar films that had lower opening numbers at the box office, but those releases with a huge caveat: Soul (2020), Luca (2021) and Turning Red (2022) all debuted on Disney+ during the COVID-19 pandemic before getting limited theatrical runs in 2024. Scene from "Inside Out 2." What Disney-Pixar Films Had The Best Opening Weekends? Elio's opening weekend of $21 million is a mere pittance to the biggest opening weekend for a Disney-Pixar film, which came in 2018 with the release of Incredibles 2 — which earned $182.6 million from 4,410 North American theaters. Incredibles 2 went on to make $608.5 million domestically finishing in third place at the 2018 North American box office behind Disney-Marvel's Black Panther ($700 million) and Avengers: Infinity War ($688.8 million). The second-highest-grossing opening weekend for a Disney-Pixar film came with last year's release of Inside Out 2, which earned $154.2 million from 4,440 North American theaters in its first Friday to Sunday frame. Inside Out 2 went on to be the biggest film at the domestic office last year, earning $652.9 million. Disney-Pixar will try to get its magic back with Toy Story 5, which is currently set for a June 19, 2026, release date. Elio, meanwhile, is playing in theaters nationwide.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Travis Kelce reveals what movie is on Taylor Swift date night list
The post Travis Kelce reveals what movie is on Taylor Swift date night list appeared first on ClutchPoints. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce shared why they are just like any other couple. Despite being at the top of their game in their respective fields, they too, enjoy a quiet night in with a good film. On Wednesday's episode of New Heights, which is co-hosted by Travis and his brother, Jason Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs right end shared that he is 'down to watch' the 1990 classic romance comedy film Pretty Woman. The three-time Super Bowl champion revealed that the movie starring acting powerhouses Julia Roberts and Richard Gere 'has been on [his] and Tay's movie list for a while.' Unfortunately for fans, the athlete did not share any additional films that they have watched nor any films that the two are planning to watch. However, fans might already have a clue about what films the couple who began dating in 2023 are interested in watching through previous mentions on the podcast and Swift's lyrics. In the song 'So High School,' the 14-time Grammy winner sings, 'I'm watching 'American Pie' with you on a Saturday night.' The song, which was released last year and is found on the singer's The Tortured Poets Department album, is rumored to be about her relationship with Kelce so it might be likely that the two have crossed that one off the list. Previously on New Heights, Travis and Jason spoke about one of Swift's favorite films, Love Actually. While Travis said he 'couldn't relate to anybody onscreen' back in 2024, he said that the film was 'fun.' The two have been getting out of their shell with a recent appearance at Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. Swift also made a surprise visit to a children's hospital where she took photos with the staff and patients. She even made a sweet nod to Travis in a video shared on X. 'My boyfriend is training here, so I just thought I'd come and see how you're doing,' Swift told a patient during her visit to the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. Not only did Swift put a smile on the faces of the patients, she also had a couple of photos with nurses, doctors, and most notably Jill Whitehouse who is the chief of surgery at the facility. 'Chief of Surgery meets Chief of the World! Undeniably one of the kindest human beings I have ever had the privilege of meeting. Thank you #taylorswift for making dreams come true for all of our patients, families, and staff today!' Whitehouse, captioned the photo. Swift and Travis have been spending a lot of time in Florida after the tight end rented a $20 million mansion while he practices at the minicamp. A source told PEOPLE that this season will have a different feeling since Swift won't be as busy unlike the previous seasons. 'Not just because she loves supporting Travis, but because for the first full season since they started dating, she's not juggling a packed tour schedule,' the source told PEOPLE last week. 'This fall will be completely different,' the source continued. 'It's the first season where she's not constantly flying back and forth or working around an entire touring calendar.' The 2025-26 season for the Chiefs will kick off on Sept. 5 in Sao Paulo, Brazil against the Los Angeles Chargers. Related: Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton makes WWE exception to social media rule Related: Fans won't like WWE star Liv Morgan's shoulder injury surgery update
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift buys back her power, ‘greatest dream come true'
The post Taylor Swift buys back her power, 'greatest dream come true' appeared first on ClutchPoints. Taylor Swift has finally regained ownership of her first six albums, bringing a long-running battle over her music to a triumphant close, per Billboard. In a major deal with Shamrock Capital, Swift purchased the masters and all associated materials for a nine-figure sum. While the exact number hasn't been confirmed, she described the terms as fair, respectful, and without strings. These are the same albums first released through Big Machine Records, which were later sold to Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings in 2019. That controversial transaction happened without Swift's involvement, and it sparked a very public fight over artistic ownership. Braun later flipped the catalog to Shamrock in 2020, though he no longer profits from it. Swift broke the news with a handwritten message to fans, filled with emotion and relief. 'All the music I've ever made… now belongs… to me,' she wrote. The deal covers not just the albums but also videos, album art, concert films, and even unreleased material. It's a sweeping reclamation of her early legacy, and one she's been chasing for over two decades. Even with the originals now under her control, Swift confirmed that her re-recorded 'Taylor's Version' editions will remain available. Two of them, including 'Reputation' and her self-titled debut, have yet to be released. In the message, she admitted that re-recording 'Reputation' had been emotionally complicated, but she left the door open for those vault tracks to emerge in time. Beyond her own career, Swift sees this as a shift in how artists think about ownership. She said newer musicians have started negotiating for their masters from the start, inspired by her fight. This, to her, is one of the most meaningful results of the saga. Swift also praised Shamrock Capital for treating the process with integrity. While she joked about getting a shamrock tattoo, her gratitude was clear. They offered her something no one else had — the ability to buy her work outright. Now, with her catalog finally in her hands, Taylor Swift can move forward with clarity, confidence, and the legacy she spent a lifetime building.
