The penguin family are the best swimmers and divers of all the world's birds.

Melbourne Zoo's new Wild Sea development will showcase their aquatic skills, with extensive underwater viewing in a deep pool with adjustable water jets to mimic the ocean's changing currents.

The penguin group at the Zoo is made up of 21 birds.  Fourteen were born at the Zoo, three arrived with injuries and could not be fully rehabilitated, and four came from other zoos (Taronga Zoo, Sydney Aquarium, and Featherdale Wildlife Park).

There are 13 males and seven females, and the sex of one young bird is not yet known.

Victoria's native penguin species are the smallest of the world's penguins, which are all found in the Southern Hemisphere.

They grow to 30cm in height and weigh only 1 to 1.5kg, in contrast with their largest cousins, the Emperor Penguins, which stand up to 100cm tall and weigh up to 40kg.

Australian Little Penguins live along Victoria's coast, up the coast of NSW to just north of Sydney, and west into South Australia.

The major breeding colony is at Phillip Island.

Melbourne Zoo is a successful breeder of Australian Little Penguins, sending some to other zoos, interstate and overseas, to support breeding programs for these fascinating flightless birds.

Australian Little Penguins may lay either one or two eggs.  In the wild, they are sometimes unable to raise both chicks, although both parents catch fish to regurgitate for their chicks.