aquarium

Penguins behaving badly

Zoo keepers at Living Coasts in Torquay are naming and shaming their naughtiest penguins. They’re writing the names of mischievous birds on a chalkboard for guests to see - and singling out others for their good behaviour.

The 63 African penguins and 12 macaroni penguins at Torquay’s coastal zoo mix freely with guests. But some penguins are better-behaved than others. Zoo spokesperson...

Happy bird-day at Living Coasts…

It’s an expensive time of year for birthday presents among the kittiwakes at Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo. The five adult birds all have birthdays between July 17th and August 7th. And now a chick has hatched on its mother’s birthday.

The kittiwake also hatched in the same nest and to the same parents as last year, when Living Coasts recorded its first ever breeding of this...

Dim the lights, I’m feeling fishy…

A stunning state-of-the-art lighting system has been installed at Living Coasts – for the fish.

The sophisticated new system in the aquarium of Torquay’s coastal zoo means that fish can experience natural dawns and dusks. Staff hope this will lead to more of what comes naturally…

One of the zoo’s aquarists, Sam Worthington, explained: “Now, each tank can have its own settings....

A pre-Spring Clean at Living Coasts

Zoo keepers have been digging in at Living Coasts in Torquay to make sure everything is just right for the birds. They had to shift tonnes of sand and soil in the coastal zoo’s estuary area and clear vegetation in an annual pre-Spring Clean.

The zoo’s estuary exhibit is home to pied avocet, oystercatcher, redshank, ruff and black-necked stilt – though you might be forgiven for thinking...

Happy first birthday Gemini!

Just look at her now! One year ago she was a tiny, helpless seal pup being bottle fed every few hours - she even had to be taught how to swim.

Now, Living Coasts’ South American fur seal pup Gemini moves effortlessly in her sunlit pool. Although she is not fully-grown, she’s a healthy 20 kilos, is fully independent and can stand up for herself among the other seals.

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Did you see the diving bunny?

A scuba diving Easter Bunny was the star of the show at Living Coasts last weekend.

The Easter Bunny swam with the penguins at Torquay’s coastal zoo in front of packed crowds.

Visitors played games of pebble bingo and noughts-and-crosses with the aquatic rabbit.

Living Coasts’ Clare Rugg explained: “We wanted to do something new and different for visitors. The English...

Plenty more fish in the Seine

Two Devon brothers have gone to Paris in search of love – but there’s a sting in the tail.

The two are venomous stingrays from Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo.

The boys – with the unpromising names of Spotty and Sheldon - have moved to an aquarium in the French capital located right next to the world-famous Eiffel Tower.

They travelled first class all the way....