When you see penguins in Singapore, the first question is always temperature.
Bird Paradise’s Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove is officially described as a large subantarctic cold saltwater penguin habitat, with air and water kept at about 8°C. The species listed here include king penguins, gentoo penguins, northern rockhopper penguins, and Humboldt penguins.
It is not an exhibit that only reopens in 2026. The penguins moved from Jurong Bird Park to Bird Paradise in 2023, and they are now part of Mandai’s new park cluster.
What to see
Penguin Cove has two key design points. The first is cold saltwater and simulated daylight, so the penguins are not simply placed inside a cold room. The second is the underwater kelp-forest view, where you can see how quickly they accelerate in water.
The official page also mentions an underwater mechanical feeder that releases fish at intervals, encouraging the penguins to chase prey as they would in the wild. That is closer to behavioral enrichment than a fixed line-up feeding.
If you want to compare penguin care in tropical cities, place Singapore beside Ocean Park Hong Kong. For a global zoo route, return to the best places to see penguins overview.
This exhibit also pairs well with the site’s penguin thermoregulation explainer: in a tropical city, 8°C air, water temperature, and daylight simulation put engineering and physiology into the same frame.
How to plan it
Bird Paradise is open daily from 09:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:00. The Penguin Keeper Talk is usually at Penguin Cove, while Backstage Pass: Penguin Encounters is a separate paid experience with height and time-slot limits.
The Mandai precinct is large, and Bird Paradise can be combined with Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, or River Wonders, but packing too much into one day gets tiring.
If you are coming only for penguins, enter early and locate Penguin Cove and the restaurant first. Penguin Cove Restaurant also lets you eat beside the exhibit window, which is practical for trips with children.
Penchan Says
The most interesting thing about Singapore’s exhibit is the engineering.
In the tropics, it builds an 8°C penguin habitat and still has to let the birds chase fish, molt, enter the water, and come back ashore. The cuteness you see is supported by a very precise system.
References
FAQ
Which penguins are at Bird Paradise Penguin Cove?
The guide follows the official page and lists king, gentoo, northern rockhopper, and Humboldt penguins in the large cold-saltwater habitat.
Why does Singapore's Penguin Cove stay around 8°C?
The official description frames it as a large subantarctic cold saltwater habitat, so the 8°C air and water are central to keeping cold-water penguins in a tropical city.
What penguin experiences are available at Bird Paradise?
The article mentions the Penguin Keeper Talk, the separate Backstage Pass: Penguin Encounters, and Penguin Cove Restaurant beside the exhibit window.
