A gentoo penguin named Ratchet, who lived at the Sea Life London Aquarium, has died at the age of 31.
He was the oldest penguin in the aquarium’s colony. Ratchet had been at the centre of a public campaign to improve conditions for the birds.
Animal welfare organisations say that the conditions in which the gentoo penguins live at the aquarium are poor. Ratchet spent his final nine years without access to fresh air or natural daylight, living in the aquarium’s basement.
In the wild, gentoo penguins are powerful swimmers. They can dive to depths of around 180 metres and reach speeds of 35 kilometres per hour.
At the Sea Life London Aquarium in England, the penguins have access to a pool of only about two metres in length. This makes it impossible for them to behave naturally.
The campaign to move the penguins to a better environment has attracted wide support. Almost 50,000 people signed a petition, and the cause was backed by politicians and celebrities.
Animal welfare groups, including Freedom for Animals and the Born Free Foundation, emphasized that wild animals have needs that captivity cannot properly meet.
The aquarium’s owner, Merlin Entertainments, which had a revenue of £1,999 million (≈ €2,333 million) in 2025, said it has been working with independent experts to find a solution for the remaining 14 penguins.
Representatives from the aquarium and the campaigning organisations are expected to meet at the end of May to discuss the colony’s future.
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