HOUSTON – This past weekend, Lauren Kelly’s got her fiancé Gabriel’s a pretty *cool* birthday gift -- a penguin encounter at Moody Gardens!
The group got to meet Marley in her own chilly environment, where biologist Janie started off with some fun penguin facts, showed off what they eat (fish) what they play with (all kinds of toys...think of a toddler’s playroom!) and then they got to watch an artist at work.
Marley is an adorable 15-year-old Rockhopper penguin, complete with bright yellow feathers, or “eyebrows” that make her stand out.
She’s got a big personality, and out of the 104 penguins that live at Moody Gardens – the special reason she stands out is that she LOVES to paint!
During the encounter, Biologist Janie took us behind the scenes where we learned that penguins love the sound of bells, they only lay a few eggs per season, and that Marley is quite the artist.
Biologist Janie said that Marley truly loves interacting and painting with guests, and has even gone viral in a few videos on Tik Tok.
Marley’s paintings are even sold in the gift shop where proceeds benefit wildlife conservation.
For those interested, Moody Gardens does offer public and private penguin encounters for guests to go behind the scenes. Click HERE for more info, and keep in mind tickets are sold on a first come first served basis.