Sealife Weymouth have their own Gemma Collins
They've named one of their baby penguins after the reality TV star
SEALIFE Weymouth has named one of its new fairy penguin chicks in honour of Gemma Collins.
Just as the GC is known for her diva demands, as seen on her ITVBe reality show, so too has the penguin chick.
If she doesn't get her way the penguin returns to its nest to sulk.
March 2020 saw the birth of fairy penguin chicks at the site. The six baby penguins are the only ones of their kind in all of Europe and are known by experts as the 'little penguins' - meaning the diminutive diva Gemma Collins will grow to around just 33cm in height - that's only a little longer than an A4 sheet of paper.
Native to southern Australia and New Zealand, the Fairy Penguin colony were rehomed to SEA LIFE Weymouth when their sanctuary in Manly, Australia, had to close in 2018.
While Gemma remains behind closed doors with her siblings as the site's interior is closed due to the current restrictions, many outdoor areas of SEA LIFE Weymouth are about to reopen to visitors on 12th April 2021, meaning guests can check out creatures including otters and seals.
To ensure the safety of visitors and the site team, social distancing measures will be imposed including online bookings for specific visiting slots, temperature checks on arrival, extensive and additional cleaning operations and other social distancing measures.
Tamsin Mutton-McKnight, general manager at Sea Life Weymouth, said:
"Just as Gemma Collins herself said 'I've earned my divaship' so too has our little chick, who by and far has shown herself to be something of a penguin prima donna. Our team has worked hard throughout the lockdown to hand rear the chicks and we can't wait for Gemma and her siblings to meet guests soon.
"In the meantime, we're delighted to be opening much of our site to guests once again and know that creatures and team members alike are excited to welcome visitors and provide some much-needed entertainment as this lockdown begins to relax.
"We've worked hard throughout all the lockdowns to ensure all our residents receive the same high level of care they have all year round; we've also carefully considered and implemented social distancing and other safety measures throughout the site to ensure we can continue to offer a safe environment for all of the family during their visit."