Photo by Mat Luschek | NBC Bay Area
Around Valentine’s Day every year, the Academy of Sciences invites visitors to write Valentine messages on cardboard heart-shaped cards for the penguins. The penguins then use the cards for nest building.
One of the penguins, (generally the male of the bird-couple) will waddle over and take the card out of the biologist’s hand, then return to their cave, adding it to the nest. The birds are always working on their nests, and sometimes will even take to retrieving starfish from the bottom of the tank to use as nest-building material. [NBC Bay Area]
See more pics from the card-giving ceremony that took place on Monday. Or watch the live penguin-cam below to see if the birds are getting romantic today. 😉 (more cam views here)
Sarah B.
Photo by Mat Luschek | NBC Bay Area