Malaysia Travel

I personally haven’t visit the Underwater World Langkawi,  however,  there are lots of interesting information that I heard about this place. I intent to visit Underwater World Langkawi… maybe later…

Here is a news about Underwater World Langkawi that I found from the nets.

Walking with penguins
ALAN TEH LEAM SENG
NST, 9 Oct 2007

Apart from the keepers, visitors are rarely allowed to enter the penguins’ enclosure in Underwater World Langkawi. ALAN TEH LEAM SENG is thrilled to be able to walk right up to the birds

THEY look like respectable gentlemen dressed in their best tuxedo suits. And the females are truly lucky for their partners stay loyal for life!

“They” are the adorable penguins in Underwater World Langkawi, housed in a RM33mil building opened two years ago. It is set up with a tropical rainforest, temperate and sub-Antarctic eco-systems. There is also a three-dimensional theatre with seating capacity for 200 people.

Passing Check Points
I was given the honor of entering the penguins’ sanctuary, a privilege indeed as not many visitors were allowed to get so close to these fragile birds. When I entered the enclosure, the African penguins practically ignored me! Perhaps they could tell, instinctively, that I was a stranger. Turning their noses at me, they made a beeline for their familiar keepers instead. They raised quite a loud ruckus while doing so.

“They must be ravenous,” I thought. After all, it was feeding time.

Together with the Rockhopper variety kept in a separate enclosure nearby, these birds are the pride of Langkawi, attracting tourists from all over in droves.

Entering the enclosure was no easy task. I had to pass several “check points” to decontaminate my shoes and then, just when I thought I was “clean” enough, I was told to don special gear, gloves and a facemask.

The procedures are very strict and it seems that every effort has been taken to ensure that these animals are not exposed to micro-organisms that might put their health at risk.

I learned that since they came from another part of the world, exposure to our local germs might prove lethal as the birds lack the necessary resistance to overcome the pathogens.

Once my entire body was covered and considered “clean”, the huge door, resembling the entrance to a deep freezer, swung open and I quietly trooped in behind the keepers.

Feeding Time
It was pure joy to see the birds lining up to get their daily sustenance. I tried handing a fresh sardine to a penguin, but it merely took a sniff and walked away. I tried to tempt another but my efforts proved futile. Defeated, I had to be contented with observing the animals from afar.

After a short observation, it dawned upon me that each bird had its own feeding preference. Some wanted to be hand-fed while others preferred the keeper to throw their food to them, catching the “flying” fish in mid air!

I hurriedly put my newly-acquired knowledge to the test. I threw a medium-sized fish to penguin No. 3 which it skillfully caught in mid air and swallowed in one gulp. I was delighted! A bird then walked close to me and I soon had it eating out of my hand!

Regulations require two handlers to enter the enclosure at feeding time. While one feeds the birds, the other keeps tab on their feeding patterns.

I learned from resident veterinarian Dr Syahar Amir Abd Gani that proper records were kept and the birds put on a strict fish diet to keep them in optimum health. Keepers insert multivitamin pills into the gills of the fish to supplement the penguins’ diet. An adult penguin consumes up to 500g of fish, either sardine or mackerel, daily. Feeding times are at 11am and 3pm daily.

Relaxing, Penguin Style
Once the penguins have had their fill, they would slowly waddle away and dive into the pool for a truly relaxing swim. As I left the enclosure, I turned around for a last glimpse of the wonderful birds before the giant airtight door closed again.

To date, the Underwater World Langkawi has a total of 28 African Penguins. Eleven eggs were laid in-house and the first one hatched on March 17, 2006. Also known as the Black Footed Penguins, these birds breed twice annually, laying two eggs each time.

When To Go
Underwater World Langkawi Sdn Bhd is located in Pantai Cenang, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. Tel: 04-955 6100, fax: 04-955 6103, email: enquiries@edenzil.com, website: www.underwaterworldlangkawi.com.my

The public is not allowed to enter the penguin enclosures but can watch from outside. The best time to be there is at feeding times. The keepers only enter the enclosures twice daily at 11am and 3pm to feed the penguins, unless there is an emergency, like a sick bird. The more often they enter, the higher the risk of contamination, which is something they try and avoid at all costs.

Milestone in penguin breeding There is great excitement as a Rockhopper Penguin egg is hatched here for the first time

AN important milestone was achieved on Sept 9, 2007, when the country’s first Rockhopper Penguin chick was hatched at the Underwater World Langkawi.

Although it had successfully bred 11 African Penguin chicks since last year, its marketing and communications executive, Siti Raudhah Shaari, said the recent achievement is notable as the Rockhopper Penguin is more difficult to breed and successful breeding in captivity is rare.

Two days later, another egg hatched and at the time of writing, the Underwater World Langkawi boasts of two Rockhopper chicks, with more eggs due to hatch in the coming months. Resident veterinarian Dr Syahar Amir Abd Gani attributed the success to good penguin husbandry management practiced there. “We have a very strong team that really cares for the penguins,” he said.

The Rockhopper Penguin is the smallest of the crested penguins, with an average height of 47cm and body weight of 3kg. They live on small islands in sub-Antarctic waters surrounding the vast Antarctic Continent. The Rockhopper Penguins at Underwater World Langkawi came from Tristan de Cunha Island, South Africa.

Unlike the cave-like nest of the African Penguin, Rockhoppers build nests in open spaces — a collection of twigs, coral chips and pebbles with a depression in the centre.

Rockhopper Penguins choose their own mates and are loyal to each other for life! They have one breeding season annually and normally lay one egg. Occasionally they would produce two eggs over three to seven days. During the incubation period, the male sits on the egg while its mate hangs around the nest or swims nearby.

Syahar said they knew the chick was going to hatch as it began to pip a day before and literature mentioned that penguin chicks hatch within 48 hours. “We could see a tiny hole made as it pecked its way through the shell,” he said affectionately.

The newly-hatched chick was active and looked hungry. A thorough check-up conducted by the penguin team found it to be in good health.

Chicks are born black on the dorsal part, white on the ventral part and has a white coloration on its beak. They are completely different from African Penguin chicks which are entirely grey in color.

Syahar hopes the population in Underwater World Langkawi will continue to grow. “We hope to share with others our unique experience in successfully breeding this difficult and rare species in captivity,” he added.