Free the Gentoo 15 from SeaLife London

This campaign to secure a better future for the Gentoo Fifteen did not begin here.

It has been driven and shaped by the tireless work of campaigners including Freedom for Animals, Born Free, Josephine Wilson and a wider coalition of organisations and individuals who have been raising serious concerns about the welfare of the gentoo penguins held at SEA LIFE London.

Protect the Wild is adding its voice, platform, and supporter base to this growing campaign in order to amplify public pressure and support the shared call for a sanctuary-based future for these penguins.

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Letter

We, the undersigned, are calling on SEA LIFE and Merlin Entertainments to take immediate and meaningful action to secure a better future for the Gentoo Fifteen penguins currently held at SEA LIFE London Aquarium.

These fifteen gentoo penguins are housed in a basement enclosure beneath one of the busiest tourist attractions in the UK. Gentoo penguins are the strongest swimmers and deepest divers of all birds, capable of travelling long distances and diving hundreds of feet in the wild. At SEA LIFE London, they are confined to a shallow, enclosed environment that severely restricts their natural behaviours.

Many of these penguins have spent their entire lives in captivity. Without compassionate intervention, they may never experience anything beyond this artificial setting.

The conditions raise serious and ongoing animal welfare concerns, including constant public noise, artificial lighting, limited space, and a lack of environmental complexity. Penguins are intelligent, social animals with complex physical and behavioural needs, yet here they are treated primarily as entertainment exhibits.

A modern, responsible company should do better.

What we are calling for

We urge SEA LIFE and Merlin Entertainments to:

Commit to removing the Gentoo Fifteen from their current enclosure at SEA LIFE London

Work transparently with independent animal welfare and conservation experts

Secure a genuine sanctuary-based future that prioritises the penguins’ long-term physical and behavioural wellbeing

This petition supports a wider campaign to end the use of penguins as entertainment attractions and to ensure the London penguins can live in an environment that properly meets their needs.

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