Adventure World Penguin Guide: Emperor, King, and 8 Penguin Species Together

Some places recalibrate what you expect from “watching penguins” after you visit. Adventure World is one of them. It is in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, and it takes some time to reach from a big city, but that trip is worth it: this facility keeps 8 penguin species, including emperor penguins, and is one of the world’s strongest emperor penguin breeding facilities outside Antarctica.

That alone is hard to ignore. Emperor penguins are the largest penguins, and the presence they have when standing there is completely different from other species, a calmness almost indifferent to the passage of time. The king penguins nearby are not small either, and their golden neck color is easy to spot. Seeing them together gives you a lot of visual information. Walk farther along and the thin black line of the chinstrap penguin loops around its cheeks and head like a strap-fastened helmet. The white rings around Adelie penguins’ eyes make them look forever a little surprised. Rockhopper penguins wear their yellow crests as if they do not care whether anyone thinks it is too much. Little blue penguins are the smallest penguins, and beside all these bigger birds, the size gap feels almost surreal.

The facility is large, and it is not only about penguins. Adventure World has many other animals, and Humboldt and gentoo penguins appear in different areas too. If you focus on the penguin area, half a day can pass naturally. Opening hours are usually 10:00 to 17:00, adult admission is 5,300 yen, and access from JR Shirahama Station takes about 10 minutes by bus.

Before coming, it is best to check penguin display times and event information. Some interactive programs require lining up early, and it would be a shame to arrive and realize you have missed them.

If you want to compare a large theme-park facility with wild observation, read penguin watching in Australia next. Phillip Island’s wild little blue penguins returning at night move in a completely different rhythm from Adventure World.

When I Went

The day I went to Adventure World, I got on the bus from Shirahama Station. The view outside the window was green, and I was still wondering whether the trip would be worth it. About five minutes after entering the penguin area, the question disappeared.

The emperor penguin was standing there, taller than I expected, with the orange on its neck clear under the lights. It was not doing anything special, just standing, but that weight made me keep looking at it. The king penguins beside it were a little smaller and moved more, walking around, sometimes leaning close to each other and then separating again.

I watched the chinstrap penguin’s line for a long time. When it turned its head, the curve was complete, as if it had been specially designed. The Adelie penguins walked around with very serious expressions, not at all like they were playing. The rockhopper penguins were even more fun; that crest has personality from every angle.

I spent almost the whole afternoon circling near the penguin area. When it was time to leave, I realized I had at least seen all 8 species, but I still wanted a little more time with each one.

Penchan Says

If you can choose only one place in Japan to see penguins, I would say Adventure World. Having 8 species together is almost impossible to reproduce elsewhere, and once you have seen the emperor penguin in person, photos alone are hard to satisfy you.