Sep 26, 2014

The Maryland Zoo at Baltimore will open on Saturday “Penguin Coast,” its new home for the it’s African penguins. The zoo is home to one of the largest colonies of the birds in North America. The exhibit will allow the number of endangered birds to double from its current number of 50.

: African penguins swim by an underwater window in Penguin Coast. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: African penguins swim by an underwater window in Penguin Coast. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: African penguins swim by an underwater window in Penguin Coast. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: African penguins are viewed at water level through the underwater window. Their new exhibit, Penguin Coast, opens Saturday. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: An African penguin swims by an underwater window in Penguin Coast. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: African penguins will be on display in their new exhibit when Penguin Coast opens Saturday. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: Penguin Coast, the new exhibit of African penguins at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, opens Saturday. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: Penguin Coast, the new exhibit of African penguins at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, opens Saturday. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: An African penguin swims by an underwater window in Penguin Coast. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: An African penguin swims by an underwater window in Penguin Coast. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: An African penguin swims by an underwater window in Penguin Coast. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: African penguins swim by an underwater window in Penguin Coast. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: African penguins swim by an underwater window in Penguin Coast the new home for the birds, which opens this Saturday at The Maryland Zoo at Baltimore. The new exhibit allows spectators to view the penguins as they maneuver beneath the water in the 165, gallon pool. The state-of-the-art facility, built to resemble the rocky coast of southwest Africa where the species lives, will allow visitors to circle the exhibit, getting a much closer view of the penguins and white-breasted cormorants. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun

: A few African penguins remain at “Rock Island,” while several have been moved to “Penguin Coast,” The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore’s new state-of-the-art penguin exhibit. These will soon be taken to their new home. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Nesting pairs of African penguins, the second group to move to Penguin Coast, get used to their nesting boxes in the new penguin housing area. The state-of-the-art exhibit opens on Saturday, September 27th. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Jen Kottyan, avian collection manager at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, is followed by other keepers as they carry members of the first group of African penguins from Rock Island. They are loaded into a car and driven a short distance to Penguin Coast. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Watched by keepers, the initial group of juvenile African penguins are released from animal carriers into their new housing on Penguin Coast. The young birds were moved first while the breeding pairs of adults remain temporarily on Rock Island. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: A group of African penguins explore their new housing after being moved in animal carriers from Rock Island to the new exhibit, Penguin Coast. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: One bird from the first group of African penguins relocated to the new Penguin Coast exhibit looks at its surroundings from behind “rocks.” (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Juvenile African penguins refuse to eat fish that Lindsay Jacks, an animal keeper at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, holds up for them. This is the first group of African penguins relocated to the new Penguin Coast exhibit. The young penguins didn’t have their morning meal, but by afternoon were dining on a variety of fish. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The first group of African penguins relocated to the Penguin Coast exhibit explore their new surroundings on their first day outside. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: As keepers watch, a group of African penguins relocated to the new Penguin Coast exhibit wonder outside for the first time. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The first group of African penguins relocated to the new Penguin Coast exhibit are acclimating to their surroundings. Visitors to The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore will have a 360-degree view of the exhibit and will able to view the birds from above and see them swim underwater. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: One of five white-breasted cormorants shakes off water in the new Penguin Coast exhibit. Penguin Coast includes a 185,000 gallon pool for the cormorants and African penguins. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The initial group of African penguins are relocated to the new Penguin Coast exhibit and get acclimated to their surroundings. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Three young penguins contend for the same fish. They are part of the first group of African penguins relocated to the new Penguin Coast at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: A young African penguin swims in the pool of the new Penguin Coast exhibit at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Lindsay Jacks, an animal keeper at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, feeds fish to a white-breasted cormorant, in the new Penguin Coast exhibit. Cormorants and African penguins are fed by hand twice a day. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Young African penguins, the first group of penguins moved to the new Penguin Coast, swim by the underwater windows in the Education Center. Penguin Coast includes 185,000 gallons of water in the 1,920 square foot exhibit. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The first group of African penguins relocated to the new Penguin Coast exhibit acclimate to their surroundings. They refused to take the fish at the Thursday morning feeding, the first time they were to eat outside. By the afternoon feeding they were ready. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Two white-breasted cormorants go after the same fish in the new Penguin Coast exhibit. A 185,000 gallon pool, underwater viewing and a 360 degree view of the facility are among the features. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: A juvenile African penguin was among the first relocated to the new Penguin Coast exhibit. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore will open the state-of-the-art African penguin exhibit on Saturday, September 27th. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The first group of African penguins relocated to the new Penguin Coast exhibit swim by the underwater windows in the Education Center. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: White-breasted cormorants in the new Penguin Coast exhibit at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: One of a group of young African penguins, the first to be relocated to the new Penguin Coast exhibit, check out their new surroundings. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Two white-breasted cormorants hold a fish in their bills as they swim in the new Penguin Coast exhibit at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. A 185,000 gallon pool, underwater viewing and a 360 degree view of the facility are among the features. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: African penguins relocated to the Penguin Coast exhibit explore their new surroundings on their first day outside. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The first group of African penguins relocated to the new Penguin Coast exhibit swim by the underwater windows in the Education Center. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: A white-breasted cormorant dries its wings in the afternoon sun. This is one of five white-breasted cormorants in the new Penguin Coast exhibit. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

The state-of-the-art facility, built to resemble the rocky coast of southwest Africa where the species lives, will allow visitors to circle the exhibit, getting a much closer view of the penguins and white-breasted cormorants. The 1,920 square foot Penguin Coast, with a 165,000 gallon pool and underwater viewing, opens September 27.

Maryland Zoo’s new home for penguins opens Saturday

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