SeaWorld to the Rescue with the World's Cutest Wetsuit

October 26, 2016

If you've been to Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin at SeaWorld Orlando recently you may have seen a very special penguin waddling around sporting a rather handsome outfit. And if you haven't, let us introduce you to Wonder Twin!

Wonder Twin is a female Adelie penguin has recently begun to experience feather-loss, something that can happen to penguins in their natural habitats and wild populations and can prove to be detrimental. But not at SeaWorld and not for Wonder Twin! 


Penguins have special feathers. They are short, broad, and closely spaced - with about 100 feathers per square inch! This helps keep water away from the skin, and tufts of down on the feather shafts increase the insulative properties of the feathers.


As a result of Wonder Twin's feather-loss, she was having a hard time naturally regulating her body temperature. This is where SeaWorld’s aviculture team stepped in. With a little help from the SeaWorld wardrobe department, the team created a wetsuit to mimic her former coat of feathers. 


Wonder Twin swims, sleeps and eats alongside her fellow penguins while wearing her wetsuit.