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 prepares for a cold FREEZING day at Kelly Tarltons. She wears a wooly jacket, over pants and gumboots. When cleaning it takes 2.5 hours everyday. This is what they speed to clean every single day: the pool, rocks, walls and rookery (where the Kings nest). Snow is put down 2x a day exhausting! And they have to prep the food that they feed to the penguins. This is what they feed to the perfect penguins: squid, krill, herring, salmon smolt, mussels and sprats. The Gentoo’s are like crazy kids. On the other hand the kings are like old men. If you get to close, the penguins will slap you CRAZY with their cricket bat flippers! When cleaning the pool Paula says “ The Gentoo’s beaks feel like drills going through the dry suit.” OUCH!!! After a long day of looking after the penguins she heads home.

By Sophie
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