Napier National Aquarium penguins 'zooming' around the world

Acting-up for a couple of actors, the penguins in Napier are watched via Zoom by actors Jonno Roberts and Caitriona Balfe. Photo / Supplied

National Aquarium visitors are used to skittery penguins zooming all over the place in their Napier habitat.

But now it's gone global as the punters do the Zoom-ing in daily reconnection with audiences from as far away as the US logging in for a gander each morning.

General manager Rachel Haydon says the penguins have so much "love" from the global community that the aquarium needed to come up with a way to keep them connected – perhaps even closer and better than actually being there.

Interaction between visitors and penguins is prohibited on-site.

Up to four virtual guests can log-in at the same time for a 15 to 20-minute video-call showing guests around the habitat, including visiting burrows and chats with the penguins' keeper.

"During a recent test session there was a bit of a scrap between two penguins which our keeper had to break up," Haydon said.

The live "encounter" is believed to be the only offering of its type in New Zealand that is interactive and exclusive to a booked group.

The aquarium tested the idea over recent weeks, with some celebrity interest from New Zealand actor Jonno Roberts, who recently played the character Draco on New York's Broadway, and friend, award-winning actor and Outlander star Caitriona Balfe.

Haydon said a fan from Los Angeles commented: "That was amazing. My mom could not believe it. It felt like we were there - so awesome. Hopefully we'll be able to make it out there sometime next year after all of the Covid restrictions have lifted."