WHAT:

A time-honored Valentine’s Day tradition: Academy biologists will distribute heart-shaped valentines to the Academy’s colony of Species Survival Plan African penguins during their 10:30 am feedings on Feb. 12, 13, and 14. The male penguins typically accept the hearts, and take them back to their nests to present them to their female counterparts as nest-lining material.

The hearts have sweet Valentine’s Day messages from high school interns in the Academy’s Careers in Science (CiS) program.

HOW TO SEE THE PENGUINS:

In-person: Visitors to the Academy can see the valentines heart distribution on all three dates.

Via livestream: On Feb. 14 at 10:30 am only, this event will be available to view via livestream on the Academy’s Facebook page for $2.99. The video will be available to watch for free on YouTube on Feb. 15. As a bonus, biologists are conducting a special extended program with 15-minutes of exclusive content for online viewers, including details on the important husbandry work done by Steinhart Aquarium biologists, live penguin painting and raffle, and audience Q&A.

WHERE:

African penguin habitat in African Hall, California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

WHY:

Enrichment activities like this are done frequently to keep the Academy’s penguins engaged as part of the museum’s Survival Species Plan. African penguins normally make nests by burrowing, then collecting any available material to line the bottom of the nest. In the wild, this could include leaves, sticks, rocks, and potentially any novel object the males can pick up with their beaks. The valentines encourage breeding behavior and help penguin couples to bond.