Ever wonder what happens in an aquarium after hours? We got a peek into The Florida Aquarium and the penguins that take over at night. “Our African Penguins got to explore the aquarium!” the caption explains.

The clip goes on to note some of the cuteness of these birds including, “*Cue adorable walking sounds*,” and “*The little scoot*” when one shuffles down the ramp. Their escapade included an up-close viewing of the fish, a source of much entertainment and maybe a little confusion for these guys.

Needless to say, viewers could get behind this excursion. “I would pay extra for a penguin tour guide,” @Zack remarked. They would spend the entire time pointing out different fish. @Crash Override got into their heads a bit more with, “This has to be so confusing for them like, ‘Okay, the fish are swimming next to us so we’re clearly underwater but how come we’re walking not swimming?'” @MightyBoosh00 added, “‘Did you know our snack bar was this big, Frank?’ – Penguin.”

But it was @Andrew who had the right idea, “This is dangerous. Did no one see that nature movie called Madagascar? Where those penguins hijacked that cargo ship. And there were only four of them. There’s 9 on the loose here. I know they’re plotting something.” We eagerly anticipate the follow up clip!

This isn’t the first time this colony has been featured on the account. A recent video gave us a glimpse of the swimmers “playing football.” They don’t quite seem to understand how the game works but it certainly serves as an enrichment activity. “He’s a little confused but he’s got the spirit,” @thebohobros correctly put it.

Related: Crowd Gathers to Cheer on Little Penguin at Central Park Zoo in Moment of Pure Sweetness

What Are African Penguins?

When you picture a penguin, you’re probably thinking of the tall and handsome Emperor variety, but the African species looks a bit different. You may recognize this breed as the ones from the aforementioned Madagascar series.

They’re especially known for being quite chatty with each other. These birds can also dive more than 400 feet underwater, almost as far down as their Emperor cousins. And of course, they can waddle around the aquarium after dark.

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This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Nov 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.