Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove @ Bird Paradise Mandai in Singapore

It's not hard to guess what's the favorite zone in a bird park for most Singaporeans. Hint: it's indoor with constant air-conditioning.

In case you still couldn't figure your head around the hint, it's the one filled with penguins and for one of Singapore's latest attraction, Bird Paradise Mandai; this shall be the Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove!

Please excuse the first photograph; my sister isn't an animal abuser and only deserving humans is worthy of her verbal, nasty abuse.

Stepping in, you would be greeted by a huge cylindrical aquarium showcasing the underwater environment for the cutesy penguins, with an iceberg in the middle as the main prop. 

There were also pockets of 'skylight' on the ceiling, for which penguins would occasionally swim past; albeit a bit too fast for us to whip out our cameras for a shot. 

It's a two-floor complex with a stairway bordering the aquarium that shall gradually bring us up to the second storey. You can of course sit around the "tank" and wait for the penguins to come say hello. Sorry, I have no patience for that with the hunger pangs that was growing in strength and not many penguins were taking a dip. 

I would very much prefer this space in the mid-floor that had an impressive wide-screen showing a documentary. You can almost feel like you are walking with the penguins! 

Almost getting to the surface. Fun fact - "Mechanical feeders underwater spit out fish intermittently so that the penguins can go hunting as they would in the wild." Just thinking out loud, live fish or dead fish? 

The surface with the environment said to replicate the Macquarie Island, which was located between New Zealand and Antarctica. There are four penguin species in the enclosure, Gentoo, King, Northern Rockhopper and Humboldt! 

The huddle of Gentoo penguins appeared to be the most active whereas the rest were as still as rocks and statues. 

Wait, are those pipes the mechanical feeders? Anyway, the "water and air temperature are maintained at a low of 8°C.". 

Here at Penguin Cove, it was said to feature "special lighting that mimics the changes in day length in the different seasons" and "the projection of Aurora Australis". Hm.... looks much like a painted ceiling to me.

Some close-up pictures of the penguins. The largest King Penguins were too far for me to take a good shot. Do you know that the largest penguin species, that's alive, is the Emperor Penguin, which stands at an average 1.1 meter tall. 

Little nuggets of information for visitors who have an interest. I personally feel that the Penguin Cove didn't wow; I expected a much wider enclosure with features that differ from the past. Maybe I expected a bit too much, especially when the other zones I had walked through that day were amazing. 

=====

Location

Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove,

Bird Paradise Mandai, Singapore