Dippy and the colony of Humboldts in midst of annual moult

Dippy, our now infamous Head Honcho Humboldt Penguin (above), is looking rather threadbare at the moment - he and the rest of the colony are going through their annual moult. The images above show the 'tatty look' of this 'catastrophic moult' - the Penguins lose all their feathers and re-grow them again over a period of a few weeks in the middle of summer. In mid summer Anchovies, the Penguins' main prey (in Peru), are at their most abundant.

Humboldt Penguins perform their annual moult at the end of the breeding season each year. In the wild (off the West Coast of Chile and Peru) the visible part of the moult process occurs when the birds remain on land and usually takes about two weeks. During this time they eat very little and lose about 30% of their body weight. In captivity they eat less than usual but the drop in weight is less extreme. In the wild the moult is followed by a 2-3 week period at sea where the Penguins regain condition before returning to the colony in preparation for breeding.

Fabulous Weekend Quotes from our Visitors Book at Seaview Wildlife Isle Of Wight

" Lovely place. There are no faults. Staff friendly and helpful". Dawn Ellis, Gosport

" Really enjoyable day - great value for money. Gave me some amazing experiences that won't be forgotten. Brilliant!" Kirsty Bishop, Gloucester

" We have visited the IOW three times and this is the one place we have returned to on ALL three visits. Best animal experience on the Island - made all the better by friendly, helpful staff". Cox Family, Warwick

" We have had a great time today (July 11th, 2010). We have visited a number of times and it is still a good day out". April, Hastings

" What a lovely day we have had here. Somewhere different whilst on holiday". Mrs. E. Vincent & Mr. J. Kolikowski, Birmingham

Quotes of the Week

" Wonderfully well kept centre. Great variety. So good to see. Enjoyed it very much" Sylvia Wood Stafford, Staffs

" Really impressive! Stroked a penguin a first time experience. Loved the Alpacas and thought all the animals were brilliant". Katie & Holly Beckwith, Hertfordshire.

" Gets better every visit! Somewhere people from the Island can come back to over and over". Andy, Helen, Isobel & Leo - Just around the corner!

" Back again for another lovely day. See you next year. A wonderful and magical experience hope to come again" John & Imelda, Oxford

" Having a wonderful time. Whole experience is awe inspiring". Jen & Mark, Essex.

" Magnificent - Beautifully cared for. A credit to you all". C. King, Wirral.

" Since we have been here today everything has been fantastic and the animals are in great condition. We will be very happy to come again soon." Anthony & Barbie, Herefordshire.

" Loved the Wallabies and the baby animals. Lovely day. AWESOME!" Calum Donoghue, Southsea.

California King Snake arrives at Seaview Wildlife!

Image shows our new California King Snake

Jake Cousin works full-time as an Animal Keeper/Presenter at Seaview Wildlife Encounter; however, on one of his two days off each week Jake volunteers at the RSPCA on the Island where he's involved with various projects including the rescue of both wild and domesticated animals. Recently the IOW RSPCA rescued a California King Snake - possibly lost or released by a hobbyist. These snakes are not native to the UK and therefore cannot be allowed to breed in the wild. Fortunately, we had just recently decided to increase our reptile collection at Seaview Wildlife Encounter - so when we heard about the newcomer we requested 'first option' on him!


Image shows Jake Cousins introducing our new California King Snake to 'his' temporary abode until his new vivarium in the Reptile Display area is ready for his relocation.


In the wild, the California King Snake is found in most of California and Arizona. It is a non-poisonous snake that loops around, constricts and squeezes its prey until it suffocates. That sounds quite threatening (and it is if you're an unsuspecting rodent, small reptile, bird or amphibian!), but they are non-venomous and make popular pets amongst human hobbyists! As adults these snakes average three to four and a half feet in length (1 - 1.4 metres), but can sometimes grow to five feet or more. Their girth measurement grows to about 5 inches in diameter.

Swallows nesting at the Park

Barn Swallows normally use man-made structures (the eaves of barns, sheds and houses) to breed. They build a cup-shaped nest from mud pellets and feed on insects caught in flight. This species lives in close association with humans, and their insect-eating habits mean that they are tolerated by people.

Many modern house designs no longer have 'eaves' - so the preferred nesting habitat of swallows is unfortunately being compromised - there are fewer and fewer places for these beautiful, shy birds to build their nests. Next time you're planning a new shed or outbuilding (or know anyone who is) spare a thought in the design to consider potential nesting sites for swallows - or perhaps consider offering a man-made nest option - available through certain retail outlets and through specialist suppliers on the internet.

Here at Seaview Wildlife Encounter we purposefully encourage Swallows each year by allowing them access to some of our workshops and outbuildings on the property. We have Swallows returning from their over-wintering in Southern Africa to the same nesting sites each Spring - where they build their mud nests and hatch their young on ledges and wooden eaves inside our outbuildings year after year.

A new litter of Harvest Mice!

Imagine going in to the Harvest Mouse Exhibit to discover an unknown litter of tiny babies that we didn't previously know about ......! That's exactly what happened yesterday when two of the Animal Care Team took on the task of moving the parent Harvest Mice to a new enclosure (to avoid in-breeding). The unexpected arrival of the adorable new babies was celebrated by capturing this image this morning!
We recently spoke with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Trust regarding the possibility of a release programme - using our 'Harvies' for the project. This would obviously need to be properly assessed by mammal experts and then correctly managed. We're looking forward to receiving further news about our re-introduction suggestion and hope to keep you posted once there's any further news!

Education and School Visits are a priority at Seaview Wildlife!

Education is a pivotal part of our work here at the Park. We are constantly reviewing and updating our educational programme to ensure we are setting the pace and offering schools and students of all ages an exciting, fun, ever-changing interaction with nature. In addition to our nine daily keeper-lead Wildlife Presentations the Park encourages youngsters to be hands-on and up-close to birds and animals - bringing the theory to life!

This image, taken earlier today, shows the Penguin Pool at Seaview Wildlife Encounter - with a few of the Humboldt Penguins just after feeding time. We had three schools visiting today which no doubt pleased the Penguins - extra fish being thrown to them by all the eager youngsters! The weather has been great - sunny and warm but not roastingly hot (if there's such a word??) so it's perfect conditions for spending time in our beautiful Park!