It’s that time of year again! Our Magellanic penguins have found their mates and are in the middle of nesting season. Earlier this month, keepers observed our penguin pairs snuggling … Continued

 Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s youngest Magellanic penguin has officially passed his swim lessons and joined the rest of the colony at Penguin Point. Guests can now spot him … Continued

One very special Magellanic penguin chick has made its debut at Penguin Point! The chick, fostered by a pair of first-time penguin parents, hatched recently after a careful incubation process. … Continued

We said goodbye to Periwinkle, our beloved 6-month-old Magellanic penguin chick, on Friday. Periwinkle tugged on our heartstrings from the moment he hatched. He and his brother Lavender were the … Continued

We said goodbye to Periwinkle, our beloved 6-month-old Magellanic penguin chick, on Dec. 2, 2024. Read the blog story. Periwinkle, a young Magellanic penguin, made his debut today at the … Continued

Penguin Point is chick-central!  Six penguin chicks successfully hatched in late May and are being closely monitored by their parents, keepers, and veterinary staff. They hatched to parents: Two … Continued

Penguin chick Regina passed her “swimming lessons” and can now be seen in Penguin Point with the rest of the Magellanic penguin colony. The two-month-old chick, raised by parents Orange … Continued

So fetch! We can’t wait for you to meet penguin chick Regina – named after Regina George from the movie Mean Girls. The growing penguin chick currently lives behind the … Continued

What’s the best way to take your first swim? Well, if you’re a hand-reared penguin chick, you find a penguin buddy. On a hot day in August, penguin chick Rio … Continued

As a powerful heat wave hits the greater Tacoma area with temperatures nearing 100-degrees, keepers at both Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Wash. and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park … Continued

“No pennies in Penguin Point, please!” That’s the message from keepers and veterinary staff at Point Defiance Zoo, after Luna the penguin ingested a penny and became ill. In late … Continued

Both staff biologists and the veterinary staff at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium have brought a rare penguin chick back to good health, just days after it was suffering from … Continued

Our new penguin chicks are learning to swim! Supervised carefully by keepers in a small, safe pool behind the scenes, they take the plunge and figure it out! They’ll stay … Continued

UPDATE June 29: The chicks have moved behind-the-scenes to learn how to swim. Read the story for more! There are the chill kind of parents, who just relax and enjoy … Continued

It may have looked like a penguin foot spa – but it was so much more. On a cold winter morning, Purple the penguin lay back comfortably asleep in a … Continued

Dwight & Jim Move Out Moving into a new home is an exciting moment in anybody’s life. But for Dwight and Jim, penguin chicks at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, … Continued

CHICK UPDATE: Our penguin chicks have gone behind the scenes to grow bigger and learn to swim. They’ll be back out in a few weeks when they’ve lost their downy … Continued

On a cold, wet November morning, veterinary technician Julie Lemon is lying on her stomach on a hard floor. Angling her head, she carefully positions a small metal wand between … Continued

June UPDATE: Our penguin chicks are now behind-the-scenes, learning to swim. Yes, you read that right. While their downy feathers stiffen and become more waterproof, they’ll live in temporary quarters away … Continued