Company boss challenged to 'swap places' with penguins 'trapped in basement' of aquarium

Protesters calling for the release of penguins "trapped in a basement" demonstrated outside a London attraction on Sunday, with musician turned eco-campaigner Feargal Sharkey throwing down the gauntlet to the company boss.

Between 250-300 animal welfare campaigners said the 15 penguins are kept "in a windowless basement enclosure" at the Sea Life London Aquarium, with no daylight or outdoor access.

The aquarium, owned by Merlin Entertainments, opened its first penguin exhibit in May 2011.

The 10 gentoo penguins introduced from Edinburgh Zoo have "now endured 14 years in a basement", with a pool of only about seven feet deep (2.1m) in which to swim, according to the campaigners that organised the protest.

Born Free says at least two of the birds have never seen the sky.

A spokesperson for the Sea Life London Aquarium said on Sunday the penguins' habitat was "designed with help and advice from specialist vets".

The statement added: "It provides an excellent balance of water and land for the penguins, which enables them to express their normal behaviours, and there is space for them to ensure they have sufficient privacy."

Feargal Sharkey, former singer of The Undertones, now known for his campaigning against the water industry, dared Merlin Entertainments' new chief executive Fiona Eastwood to "swap places with the penguins".

"In fact, if she's prepared to actually spend a month down there with those penguins, I will donate £1,000 of my money to a charity of her choosing," Mr Sharkey said.

"As we now know, some of them have been there for 14 years, in the basement of a former council building.

"It's a shocking indictment."

He added: "There is no reason that they should be benefiting at all from imprisoning 15 birds in the basement of an old council building.

"It's idiotic. It's a nonsense, and it's got to stop."

Merlin Entertainments is co-run by Blackstone Group, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), and Kirkbi, the investment arm of the Lego family.

The British theme park company owns a range of theme parks and other attractions across the UK, including Alton Towers, Legoland Windsor, Madame Tussauds, Thorpe Park, and Chessington World of Adventures.

Gentoo penguins are supreme swimmers, the fastest swimming bird in the world, according to the charity Penguins International.

In the wild, they can reach speeds of 22mph (35 kph).

Naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham said he was there to protest the "injustice that's been wrought upon 15 beautiful little gentoo penguins currently housed in the dingy basement of the building behind me."

He told Sky News: "This building was always unsuitable for these bids, and they've got to be shifted out."

Megan McCubbin, fellow TV presenter and Chris Packham's stepdaughter, said gentoo penguins were "one of the most amazing species that we have on our planet".

She added: "And when you walk through [the basement] - and I've only been once and I will never go again - you can't help but feel heartbroken about them."

Sea Life London Aquarium also said in its statement it was "committed to supporting conservation causes globally" through its Breed, Rescue, Protect programme, which supports endangered species.

(c) Sky News 2025: Company boss challenged to 'swap places' with penguins 'trapped in basement' of aquarium