BY WARREN WISE | The Post and Courier (Charleston)

Those lovable penguins at the South Carolina Aquarium are all dressed up and not going anywhere.

Originally scheduled to waddle away in March, the four Magellanic penguins will stick around through October in the aquarium’s Penguin Planet exhibit.

The birds, whose markings make it appear as though they could be wearing tuxedos, have been a hit for the waterfront facility since they arrived last March, helping to boost attendance to about 438,000 visitors last year, an 11.5 percent increase over 2008, and also helping to fatten the aquarium’s coffers with more than $1 million in profit through October. Final figures for the year will be released Feb. 11.

“We have had so much success with them,” aquarium spokeswoman Elizabeth Bender said. “They have been a great tourism and visitor driver.”

In addition, the aquarium will permanently add the up-close Waddle Wagon program to its weekly program schedule.

Started during the holidays, the program features an aquarium staff member rolling out one of the birds in a wagon so visitors can check them out close up. The Waddle Wagon will run at 2 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

Added to the aquarium’s agenda as well is the month-long Sea and Save promotion for all of February when admission for all South Carolina residents is the normal child’s rate of $10.95, a savings of $7 off adult tickets.

The penguins won’t be the only major attraction either. Coming March 20 will be a rare white alligator, one of fewer than 50 living albino alligators. The exhibit will be around for a few years, Bender said.

Find out more at scaquarium.org.

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