The Tennessee Aquarium’s gentoo and macaroni penguins are busy birds. Check in on their playful antics any time you could use a little “penguin break.” Throughout the year, you’ll witness courtship, nest building, rearing young and molting at the Aquarium.
Penguins’ Rock is presented by Little Debbie.
Penguin ID chart
Identify our Gentoos and Macaronis by name with this color-coded flipper band chart.
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Annual Penguin "Molting"
Gentoo and Macaroni Penguins replace all of their feathers every year in a single molt (aka "catastrophic molt"). To prep for this annual event, the birds spent the preceding weeks eating huge amounts since they can't swim while molting.
During the two- to three-week period of the molt, the birds' new feathers push out the old ones, and they tend to look a little ... scruffy ... as a result. Once complete, however, the birds are much happier (and begin swimming and eating again, as usual).
Watch this video to learn more
More Livestreams
River Otter Falls Cam
Watch our River Otters swim and play—tune in for some otterly delightful fun!
Secret Reef Cam
Thanks to support from NOAA, you can immerse yourself virtually in the Tennessee Aquarium’s Secret Reef exhibit.
Lake Sturgeon Cam
See Lake Sturgeon glide gracefully in real time—dive in for a serene underwater experience whenever you like!
Chattanooga Weather Cam
Our live, high-definition webcam streams the view of what’s happening in the sky above the Aquarium’s glass peaks.
Island Life Cam
Take a virtual dive into the Tennessee Aquarium’s Indo-Pacific tank, found in the Island Life gallery!