THE PENGUIN KEEPER

We were very lucky that Kyla's mum came to tell us about when she worked as a PENGUIN KEEPER at Kelly Tarlton's in Auckland.
The penguin keeper Paula Brown works at Kelly Tarltons.
She hand feeds the penguins. The penguin keepers put vitamins in the fish. Each penguin has a band so each penguin gets a fish. What penguins eat salmon smolt, mussels, krill, herring and sprats. The mussels would be yummy.
She wears a drysuit and an air tank. She wears it to clean the pool. Just imagine wearing a drysuit - not penguin proof but no harm done.
What penguins are like – cute but violent with their thin strong flippers. They are also cheeky and naughty.
What problems does she have? Feeding the kings when they’re moulting, cleaning the pool - penguins will bite if you’re too long so don’t take too long.
I wish I could work there like Paula Brown.
By Marley
Year 3

Sandy King's visit

Sandy King from the Yellow- eyed Penguin Trust came to Halfmoon Bay School on Friday October 23. She talked to the students about yellow-eyed penguins. Sandy showed us a slide show of pictures that she took when she was working around the Island.
Here are some interesting facts about yellow-eyed penguins:
• Did you know the oldest recorded yellow-eyed penguin lived for 28 years!
• They usually live for 20 - 23 years.
• They are about 60 cm in height.
• Sandy King also has to microchip the penguin chicks with a big long needle gun.
• Yellow-eyed penguins are so smelly because they play in their poop.
• Yellow-eyed penguins lay two eggs in spring each year.
• In their lifetime they lay about 38 eggs but sadly only about 4 eggs will survive to make it to adults.
We learned loads from Sandy that we didn’t know.
These photos were taken by Sandy
By Marley and Sophie