The Arctic and the Antarctic
In our newly built small exhibition you can visit the Arctic and the Antarctic at the same time.
In the Arctic you will find for example one of the largest seals in the world: the walrus, which is only surpassed in size by the northern elephant seal and southern elephant seal.
The walrus is found in the northernmost parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as on the Russian Arctic coast. A walrus can dive to a depth of more than 500 metres and stay under the surface for 30 minutes, but usually makes shallower dives of between 20 and 50 metres. A layer of blubber up to 15 centimetres thick helps keep the walrus warm.
Next to it is a polar bear, which is not only the largest species of bear but also the largest terrestrial predator on the planet. A male weighs about 700 kilos.
In the Antarctic you will find for example the emperor penguin, the largest living penguin species. The males take fatherhood quite seriously! The female lays a single egg, which the male incubates by balancing it on his feet and covering it with his brood pouch, a fold of belly plumage. They stand in the blistering cold, sometimes 40 degrees below celsius, for two months. To keep warm, the male penguins huddle together and take turns standing furthest in, where it is warmest.
