Love is in the Air (and the Water) at Georgia Aquarium

Charlie and Lizzy are our two oldest African penguins at the Aquarium and our oldest known penguin pair. Charlie is 36 years old, and Lizzy will be 35 in March. The average lifespan for African penguins in their natural habitat is 10-15 years, so they have far exceeded their life expectancy!

Like many animals, African penguins use body language and vocalizations to attract a mate. They can be seen shaking their heads and making loud mating calls. They also display these behaviors when “flirting” with their bonded partner. Charlie and Lizzy are often seen displaying head shakes, vocalizations, and “flirty eyes” as our trainers like to say.

While Charlie and Lizzy are off-exhibit due to their age and to monitor their health, they are under close watch by our animal care team and often take strolls around the Aquarium’s exhibits. In their natural habitat, African penguins spend their time exploring, foraging for fish, and walking the beaches. We mimic these explorations by taking our penguins on regular walks around our galleries. This allows them to discover new areas outside of their habitat and serves as enrichment. For Charlie and Lizzy, these walks do just that and are a form of exercise.

Charlie and Lizzy’s heartwarming love story is one of our favorites to share. We enjoy watching their relationship continue to flourish as they “flirt” and take romantic strolls around the Aquarium, waddling wing-in-wing.