Tired of Cat Videos? Penguins Adjust to Detroit Zoo: Watch

Gentoo penguins, from left, Simon, Philly and Popeye are the newest residents of the Detroit Zoo. In the second photo, Simon gets to know the others. (Detroit Zoo photos by Jennie Miller)

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Their new $29.5 million home is still under construction, but three highly anticipated residents have settled in early at the Detroit Zoo.

Gentoo penguins Philly, a female, and males Popeye and Simon are the first of their species to arrive at the zoo, and they’ve joined the flock of king, rockhopper and macaroni penguins living at the Penguinarium. Each of the gentoo penguins is just over a year old.

More gentoos will arrive in the coming months as completion of the new Polk Penguin Conservation Center nears.

The long-tailed gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) is recognized by the white stripe extending across its head and its bright red-orange bill. The gentoo is the third-largest penguin, reaching a height of 30 inches and a weight of up to 20 pounds. It is also the fastest-diving bird, with paddle-shaped flippers that help it reach speeds of up to 22 miles an hour under water.

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One of the most dramatic features of the penguins’ new home will be a chilled 326,000-gallon, 25-foot-deep aquatic area with views above and below water as the birds dive and soar. This will allow visitors to observe penguins dive under water – something that is impossible to see in the wild

“We have observed thousands of gentoo penguins in Antarctica as part of our research and development of the Polk Penguin Conservation Center’s unique design. The aquatic habitat makes the facility an ideal environment for gentoos, which we know spend a lot of time in the water,” said Scott Carter, Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) chief life sciences officer.

The Polk Penguin Conservation Center is under construction on a 2-acre site just inside the Zoo’s entrance and is slated to open in early 2016. Once the penguins move to the PPCC, renovation will begin on the Penguinarium to turn it into a bat conservation center.

Simon is one of the gentoo penguins that recently arrived at the Detroit Zoo. (Detroit Zoo photo by Jennie Miller)