Dear John

On Sunday 19th October, Freedom for Animals was joined by our friends at the Born Free Foundation, The Express, and over 250 passionate supporters (and four well-known celebrity guests!) outside Sea Life London Aquarium - all calling for the freedom of 15 gentoo penguins trapped in an underground basement!

Since 2011, these intelligent, remarkable birds have been confined to a windowless prison with no sunlight, no fresh air, and a shallow pool - a world away from their ocean homes, where they dive hundreds of feet and swim for miles.

To amplify this important message and raise awareness on their plight, we were even joined by Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin, Dale Vince and Feargal Sharkey!

The protest has already seen incredible national press coverage and approximately 12,000 new signatures have been added to the petition so far! This is all thanks to the help of you, our supporters, with this vital campaign since its launch in 2024.

Standing in solidarity with so many dedicated supporters on Sunday, our message to Sea Life was clear. Penguins don’t belong in a basement and enough is enough!

We’re urging Merlin Entertainments (Sea Life’s parent company) to:

• End their penguin breeding programmes immediately

• Stop exhibiting penguins permanently

• Support the relocation of the 15 penguins to a more suitable environment, which we, of course, believe to be a true sanctuary that does not continue to use them for profit.

This was a powerful day of unity and hope - proof that together, we can create change for animals in captivity.

🐧 Here’s how you can help right now:
👉 Sign the petition to Free the Fifteen
👉 Take the pledge to boycott Merlin Entertainments 
👉 Share the campaign with your friends
👉 Donate towards the campaign and our anti-captivity work
👉 Join our movement for animal freedom as a Freedom Champion!

This was a very special event that has most definitely boosted the profile of the campaign, and raised even more public awareness on the plight of the penguins.

We, like you, believe in a world without cages and tanks. With your continued support, we can make this a reality for these penguins, and all animals. Thank you!

For the animals,


Laura Walton
Campaigns Manager
Freedom for Animals

P.S. John, stand with me against animal captivity - become a Freedom Champion today!