ENTHRALLED families will have the chance to get up close and personal with adorable penguins at Southend’s Sealife Adventure.

Bosses at the Southend seafront attraction, owned by the Stockvale Group which also runs Adventure Island, have introduced a new daily Meet the Penguins experience, which is set to prove a huge hit. 

Staff at the centre have been trialling the experience over the last week, with families officially invited for the first time yesterday. 

Meet the Penguins will be held every day at 11.30am but parents are warned that you must pre-book. 

READ MORE >> Body of a man is found on a south Essex beach, police confirm

Jonathan Humphrys, sealife senior manager at Sealife Adventure, added: “We are delighted to be able to offer these brand-new penguin experiences as part of our package of educational animal experiences which includes our popular meerkat experience.

“Our team have done a brilliant job to create an experience which will both offer an amazing experience and help our visitors to learn about these amazing animals, and the threats which they face in the wild.

“It is our hope that people who participate in these experiences will be inspired to help champion the conservation of these animals and our natural world.”

Matt Dent, councillor for Kursaal ward, said: “That is fantastic, I love it. It is just in time for the summer too, which is perfect.

“It will be brilliant, and it is also great having a resource like this that is both entertaining but also educational for visitors and Southend residents alike.

“There will be plenty of residents who will love this, and the timing is perfect, as there are lots of children off school, with parents looking for as many ways as possible to entertain them.”

Once guests have competed the experience, they will receive a certificate.

Hannah Ali Rowlingson, a 43-year-old Southend resident who has an annual pass at the centre with her son, said she loved the idea.

She said: “I think this is a lovely idea. It is great to have new things popping up in Southend.

“We often travel out of town a fair bit for days out, so it is really nice to have something on our doorstep.

“I wish it was a little cheaper as it is a little expensive for some, but the annual pass owners discount is really good.”

The minimum age is eight, but all children under 16 must have an accompanied adult.

The price of the experience is £100 for two people, and an additional person is £50. 
Annual pass holders will receive a 20 per cent discount.