Mar del Plata Aquarium penguins valued at $40,000 amid bankruptcy

Four crested penguins from the former Mar del Plata Aquarium in Argentina have been valued at $40,000 as part of a judicial liquidation process. The valuation is intended to generate liquidity to settle debts and unpaid wages following the bankruptcy of Plunimar S.A., the company that managed the complex.

The $40,000 figure is conditional upon a potential sale to an international buyer. While these four penguins were specifically inventoried as assets, approximately 55 other marine animals remain at the site, including Magellanic and King penguins, whose future may involve donation or relocation.

The aquarium, which operated at Punta Mogotes since 1993, closed in March 2025 after its parent company, the Mexican multinational The Dolphin Company, failed to renew the land lease. The closure marks the end of the Marine Fauna Rehabilitation Center, a facility that has historically rehabilitated and released over 5,500 animals.