BEAK-STILL OUR HEARTS: Spying a wonderful waddler, the sort of noble creature that crosses an ice floe with plenty of gusto, a few slips 'n slides, and more moxie than we could possibly ever summon? How our heart does pitter-patter over penguins and all of their adorable antics. We love to see these stand-up superstars caring for their young, taking a dive in the ocean, and prettily preening on the shore. So captivated are we by these amazing avian icons that finding a name for one, at first glance, seems almost too easy. Tuxedo? Frosty? These flightless birds seem to prompt humans to take all sorts of flights of fancy. But we're not often asked to help find a moniker for one of these majestic animals, so when that opportunity does come along? We waddle, as we quickly as we can, in the direction of the team doing the asking.
AND THOSE TEAMS? Hurray: Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla and Monterey Bay Aquarium are both looking for public input on the perfect penguin names. The timing of it all is pretty adorable — April 25 is World Penguin Day — so best put on your lucky tux, or at least your thinking cap, and ponder the penguin-tastic requests. A Little Blue Penguin is the name-needer at Birch Aquarium, and submissions are open through May 8, 2022. The Little Blue Penguins are "the newest and cutest residents" at the institution, so let that be an inspiration as you decide what you'd like to submit. And at Monterey Bay Aquarium? A charming chick arrived near the end of March. Now this growing-ever-faster bambino needs a handsome handle, and your thoughts are requested. Do you prefer Aster, Cypress, or Pfeiffer? Start here to make your chirp, er, voice heard.
PENGUINS CAN BE ADMIRED... at a number of Golden State aquariums, from La Jolla to Monterey and places beyond. Waving at these waddlers can be done on World Penguin Day, and just about every other day of the year, depending on when you waddle by your family's favorite spot to sea the wonders of the see. Oh wait: We mean see the wonders of the sea, of course; sometimes when penguins are diving through our daydreams, we become fully flummoxed by their feathery fabulousness.
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