
15/09/2025
The penguins were unwilling to accept the alternative. Despite efforts to gradually introduce more affordable fish into their diet, some penguins categorically refused to consume it, prompting staff to revert to their preferred cuisine. According to Morning Brew, the birds would take the cheaper fish into their beaks, only to spit it out or turn their heads away entirely. The aquarium's manager, Hiroki Shimamoto, explained that the animals seemed to sense that "something is off" with the new fish. In 2022, the Hakone-en Aquarium in Kanagawa, Japan faced rising costs due to inflation and decided to switch from feeding its penguins expensive horse mackerel (aji) to a more affordable alternative, regular mackerel (saba).