Penguin Expedition Boat Ride
Meet Sydney's only sub-Antarctic penguin colony
The Penguin Expedition Boat Ride is the world first-of-its-kind penguin exhibit raft ride where you can get up close and personal to a spectacular colony of King and Gentoo Penguins. And guess what explorers, the Boat Ride is FREE with your general admission ticket to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium!
Book Online Now
Hop Aboard!
Penguin Expedition Boat Ride is the world first-of-its-kind penguin exhibit raft ride where you can get up close and personal to a spectacular colony of King and Gentoo Penguins at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.
This immersive ride-through adventure is a continuous chain of boats, each with a capacity of 6 guests, that carries guests on a journey along a river and through the heart of our penguin colony. Watch from just metres away as they interact, slide across the ice and dive into the water!
Penguin Expedition creates an explorer out of each and every guest as they travel in a raft through a rugged sub-Antarctic environment, through flurries of snow, at a cool-but-comfortable six degrees Celsius.
Inspired by Macquarie Island
Macquarie Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that lies in the south-west Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. It's home to many species including the King and Gentoo Penguins.
Our Penguin Expedition voyage takes you face-to-flipper in an awe-inspiring recreation of our King and Gentoo penguins’ home, including magical flurries of snow, whistling winds and the stunning southern lights.
This amazing zone aims to educate guests by highlighting the impacts of plastic pollution and habitat destruction affecting these majestic birds.
Amazing discoveries await after disembarking thanks to the researchers at the Macquarie Island Explorer Hut. Guests will find out about SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium’s penguin breeding program and what they can do to help conserve Macquarie Island.
Get up close to our Penguins
On your journey through our penguin expedition zone, you will get the chance to get up close to our King and Gentoo Penguin species through a number of viewing points.
Our penguins are fed several times a day including a pool feed where you will get to watch as the penguin glide through the water to catch their lunch! Did you know Gentoo penguins are the fastest species of penguin? They get up to speeds of 36 km/h in the water!
BUY TICKETS ONLINE & SAVE!
Online From
$39.20
Per Adult
On The Day
$49
Per Adult
- Price includes Digi Photo Pass with 8 digital photos included – valued at $26!
- Get your ticket on your phone
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Ticket Type Price on the day/School Holidays/Weekends SAVE 20% - Pre-book online in advance on weekdays Adult $49 $39.20 Child (3-15 yrs) $36 $28.80 Student or Senior* $39 $31.20 Child (0-2 yrs) FREE FREE *All concession holders must have a valid concession/student/health care card to gain access to the attraction with a Student/Senior ticket.
- Guarantee entry by booking online
Online From
$58
Per Adult
When Bought Separately
$95
Per Adult
- Choose from: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Madame Tussauds Sydney or Sydney Tower Eye
- Visit your second attraction within 30 days
- Price includes Digi Photo Pass with 8 digital photos included
FAQS
The Penguin Expedition Boat Ride is open from 10:30am - 3pm
Yes! Penguin Expedition is included with all SEA LIFE Sydney tickets.
To protect the health and safety of our guests, there are a few rules and height restrictions that apply for the Penguin Expedition boat ride:
- Children under 90cm must be seated next to a responsible adult
- Children over 90cm but under 120cm must be seated next to or in the row immediately in front of a responsible adult
- Children over 120cm are free to ride without adult supervision
We have multiple boats at Penguin Expedition and each boat can sit up to 6 guests.
To meet our sub-Antarctic penguins, guests will be transported by boat through a cool yet comfortable six degrees Celsius. We did say that this was an immersive experience!
The approximate depth of the water is 42cm.
Due to the nature of the ride, the Penguin Expedition boat ride itself is not accessible for wheelchairs.
However, guests can still view our spectacular penguins from the large viewing windows surrounding the display!
The boat ride through the sub-Antarctic to meet our majestic birds takes approximately 2 minutes from start to finish.
No, guests who do not wish to go on the boat ride can still view our majestic birds from the large viewing windows surrounding the display!
If you're keen to get even closer to our penguin colony, find out about our on-the-ice penguin encounter experience, Penguin Passport.
**PLEASE NOTE - Every effort is made to limit our penguin expedition ride closures. However, the boat ride may be closed during your visit due to unforeseen maintenance issues which will exclude the viewing area of the penguins.
The safety of both our animals and our guests are our number one priority.
