One Tank Trip: Sea World's Empire of the Penguin

ORLANDO (FOX 13) - 32 degrees and snowy. It's the perfect climate for the black and white feathered birds in Antarctica. But you don't have to travel to across the globe to see these cold weather creatures. It's just a one-tank trip to Sea World Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin.

"It's such an amazing exhibit. It brings the guests right into the middle of the animal's habitat," explained penguin handler T.J. Dray.

More than 200 penguins waddling through their icy caves and diving into chilly waters, the penguins at Sea World stay busy.  And their visitors have a lot to do, too. There's the Empire of the Penguin exhibit, where guests get a close look at where the penguins play. There's also a more private tour where visitors come face to face with a penguin.

And if you're a penguin lover like me, you'll have no problem adapting to the climate and whatever else comes your way.

"You experience the cold first. Then you hear everything, the vocalizations. Probably about that time the smell catches up with you. Penguins have an odor about them," said T.J.

It's easy to see why T.J. loves his job. He get to work in a place where he's surrounded by a couple hundred penguins everyday. And as an aviculturist, he also considers himself a speaker of the birds, always monitoring them and making sure they have the most fulfilling life possible.

"It is an absolute wonderful job, coming in here everyday, and making that little of a difference," T.J. added.