Zach and Sara: Another check on the bucket list...

My husband has had the life long dream to one day pet a live penguin. Me, being the amazing wife that I am, decided to make that dream a reality for Christmas. I did lots of hunting to discover that he could actually touch a penguin at Sea world! Christmas morning he found in the bottom of his stocking a small penguin ornament with his pass to touch a penguin. He was so excited, he ran around the house all day saying "hey, I get to touch a penguin!!!" He cracks me up. So we invited my family to come along as well. So a couple days after Christmas we woke up early and Mom, Zach, William and I set out for Sea World. Once we arrived, we checked into the main booth to pick a time to play with penguins. I surprised my mom and bought her a ticket so she could join in the fun!

First we watched the dolphin show. It was fun. There were acrobats and divers. It was really cool and very different from what I remember from childhood.
Can I just say, LOOK AT THAT SKY!!! Oh my so blue, California I miss you.
You are NOTHING like the icky winters we have in Utah.

Then as we were walking around the park we came across a group of flamingos walking along the grass. They were not caged in so you could just walk right up to them. This one seemed to have a lot of interest in us and started nibbling at our hair. The boys didn't seem to mind, but I was thoroughly freaked out. My face gives that away.

After being mauled by a flamingo, we went to another animal show. This one featured dogs, cats, a pig, and even a kangaroo!!! After the show I was able to go to the stage and pet the baby Kangaroo.

Then we started our wonderful penguin experience. First we stood outside and they told us about the penguins in the outdoor exhibit. Then they took us into the lab where a large ice pack was on the counter. The woman told us to wait there for a moment and she would bring out a penguin. We waited and the woman returned, but no penguin in sight! We waited for a moment then from around the corner a cute little thing comes "running" down the hall. He was so excited to be out and about. She placed him on the counter so we all could get a better look and to keep the little guy cool. Suddenly, almost as if in slow motion, the woman yelled MOOOVVVVVEEEE and pushed a small kid to the side just as the penguin shot his liquid poop across the room. We dodged the splatter and tried not to gag at the smell. Who know how penguins went to the bathroom?
On a less graphic note, lets continue...
His name is 161, their names are numbers because there is way to many to keep track of and the number system is the easiest way. 161 really enjoyed exploring and would not sit still on the counter. We were all able to touch and take pictures with him. We learned the reason penguins cant fly is because their wings are solid bone, like humans, making them too dense to fly. These wings also serve as a safety device. If anyone comes to close they will smack them with their wings and seriously hurt them. The trainers commented that they have been smacked while in with them and have had huge bruises through their heavy rubber boots and thick pants. Ouch!

We also learned the reason a penguin's egg is in the triangle shape. This shape causes the egg to always roll back to the point it originally started rolling from. Which is very helpful in the wild because if the penguin drops the egg, it will completely freeze within 10 seconds because of the climate.

On another random note, penguins do not drink salt water. They filter the water in their beaks and "spit" the remaining salt out by shaking their heads. Needless to say, I got my fair share of 161's spit that day. Then we went down the hall and saw new born penguins.
So cute. So fluffy. So wanted to put one in my pocket and take it home.

Then they took us inside the exhibit. That's right, the other side of the glass.
This little guy between my mother and I, may look sweet, but be warned, hes a bitter.

This cutie is named Tut. The name seems very fitting because after all, he is a King Penguin.
He was born and raised in the zoo and became very close to his trainer. Every time she enters the exhibit Tut follows her around like a puppy. It is the cutest thing. The trainer tried to have Tut walk over. Tut dug his feel in the ground and tucked his beak into his chest, same reaction you would get trying to introduce your two year old to your friends. It was adorable. So then Tut was close enough for us to see and Zach even got to touch him. King penguins are pretty big, he was almost up to my hips!

Apparently Zach forgot that penguins live in the cold and wore shorts, t-shirt and flip flops for our adventure. Here he is, completely happy, but frozen to the core!

This girl is named "44" she only has one eye because the other was pecked out by mean penguins. She is a small well.. "ear muff" penguin. Yes, I forgot their real name. She is a sweetheart and actually knows her name! Who knew penguins were so smart!?! When you look at her and say 44, she tilts her head all the way back and squaks. A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.

This is me trying to get her to "talk" to me. She answered every time.

After wards as we were walking out, I came across this stuffed animal. This toy looks exactly like the ornament I gave to Zach when I promised he could touch a penguin.
We got a good laugh out of it.