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These videos of pengiums exploring the Shedd Aquarium will make your week.

These Penguins Visiting Other Animals In An Empty Aquarium Are Too Cute

by Cianna Garrison

Chicago's Shedd Aquarium may be closed to the public to help stop the spread of coronavirus, but the aquarium's employees still know how to make animal lovers smile. Animal keepers at the Shedd gave some penguins the chance to explore the empty exhibit halls — and caught it all on camera. These videos of penguins exploring the Shedd Aquarium are the cutest adventure ever.

With recent efforts to enact social distancing, many nonessential businesses are not open to the public. The Shedd Aquarium closed on Friday, March 13, but the organization is making this difficult time more bearable with adorable videos of its penguins running free through hallways that are usually populated with paying visitors.

A series of videos on the Shedd Aquarium Twitter account is showcasing some of the aquarium's penguins exploring the exhibits while "on a field trip." The first video was posted on Sunday, March 15, and it shows a penguin named Wellington gazing through the glass at the fish in the Amazon Rising exhibit. The first video is captioned: "Penguins in the Amazon?! Some of the penguins went on a field trip to meet other animals at Shedd." In the video, Wellington and the black-barred silver dollar fish look mutually interested in each other, and it's honestly the cutest thing:

On Monday, March 16, the aquarium — also home to belugas, stingrays, and dolphins — tweeted three more videos of these penguin explorations.

The second video in the series introduces us to penguins Edward and Annie. Edward and Annie, a pair of rockhopper penguins who are together for nesting season, explored the Shedd’s rotunda. Despite everything going on for humans right now, the posts on the aquarium's Twitter account shared that these penguins are still participating in their usual spring nesting season.

Another video on March 16 features Edward and Annie exploring the Southeast Asian Streams section. The aquarium's Twitter post said that Edward and Annie will start building their nests next week, promising to give future coverage on the event.

The final video of Edward and Annie shows them exploring the information desk. Despite the coronavirus crisis making life a little bit strange for us, the penguins are experiencing life as usual. The aquarium's Twitter post says its caregivers are giving the animals a chance to explore through new experiences. The organization is also offering Twitter users a chance to suggest some penguin activities.

In case the videos of penguins running free aren't adorable enough, the Shedd also held a St. Patrick's Day penguin party on Tuesday, March 17, documenting with the cutest pictures, complete with a green bow tie:

With dapper-looking penguins and videos of animal "field trips," it looks like the Shedd Aquarium's Twitter account just reached must-follow status.

If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all Elite Daily's coverage of coronavirus here.