New England Aquarium to Screen New Documentary Exploring Penguin Love and Conservation

Special to the Regional Review

 Penguins may be some of nature’s most devoted partners. Many species form lifelong bonds, while others find their mate for a season. Penguins: A Love Story, a new documentary recounting remarkable stories of penguin courtship, connection, and resiliency from South Africa to Australia, debuted at the New England Aquarium on the Simons Theatre’s giant screen Friday, Feb. 13.

The film introduces audiences to critically endangered African penguins from South Africa and fairy penguins, the smallest penguin in the world, from New Zealand and Australia. Shot in Cape Town, South Africa, the story follows Lenny, an African penguin searching for his lifelong mate. On the other side of the beach, Fluffball, an orphaned penguin chick, is lovingly cared for by humans at a penguin hospital. His surrogate mom feeds him sardines and teaches him to swim, nurturing Fluffball until he is fully grown.

The film then takes audiences to coastal Australia where a group of fairy penguins, terrorized by foxes, finds respite and care from an unexpected source. As part of an innovative conservation strategy, a patrol of Maremma dogs serve as protectors of the fairy penguins’ nests and eggs, keeping danger at bay and providing hope for the species.

The New England Aquarium is home to 51 penguins, including African penguins and southern rockhopper penguins. African penguins are an endangered species that inhabit the coasts of South Africa and Namibia and are threatened by the depletion of food from overfishing, climate change, and pollution. The Aquarium is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) SAFE African Penguin program, an international effort to protect and restore wild African penguin populations. As a member of the program, the Aquarium participates in educational and conservation initiatives for African penguins, including field conservation work with the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB).

Penguins: A Love Story will be shown at the Aquarium’s Simons Theatre starting Feb. 13 as part of its global release.

Tickets and show times are available by calling 617-973-5206 or by visiting neaq.org.

The New England Aquarium is a nonprofit research and conservation organization that has protected and cared for our ocean and marine animals for more than 55 years. We provide science-based solutions and help shape policies that create measurable change to address threats the ocean faces. We inspire action through discovery and help create engaged, resilient communities.