Mystic Aquarium

Get Your Original Penguin Art!

Penguin paintings created by our African penguins are available for purchase in the Aquarium Store or online.

The 16-inch-by-20-inch paintings ($189.99) are double-matted in white with black inner trim and encased in a black wood frame. The paintings will be available in two three-color combinations: purple, blue and green and dark red, blue and green.

How do the penguins paint?

Creating these paintings is a form of enrichment for the penguins. Approximately half of the penguins here have unleashed their inner artistes to create art. Here’s how they do it:

1. All of our African penguins are trained to stick out their feet, which allows our trainers to examine them regularly as part of our animal care program.
2. Next, the trainer dabs non-toxic paint on the penguin’s feet.
3. A canvas is laid on the floor.
4. The penguin is set down on the canvas, free to roam.
5. Once the paint begins to fade, the penguin's feet are cleaned and a new color is applied. The penguin once again waddles across the canvas to create a layer of hues.

A portion of the proceeds from each sale will go toward the aquarium’s many penguin conservation efforts here and across the world. The African penguin population has decreased by over 60 percent since 2001. The penguins at the aquarium play an integral role in the African Penguin Species Survival Plan, and the aquarium staff’s work with them is helping researchers better understand penguins in the wild.

Watch one of the resident artists create a painting!