Campaigners have raised concerns about a “pitiful” penguin habitat at a London Aquarium which meets minimum enclosure standards. Fifteen gentoos are housed in London Aquarium’s basement without fresh air or daylight - which meets the requirements of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA).

BIAZA is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). Chris Lewis, of conservation charity Born Free, said: "Minimum enclosure standards set by regional zoo associations, like EAZA, are often based on the conditions that their member zoos are keeping animals in at their time of writing. “The meeting of such standards should not be seen as a guarantee that the welfare needs of an animal are being met.

“The news that the current gentoo enclosure at Sea Life London has been deemed to comply with EAZA standards should raise great concern and further highlights the issues of self-governance within the zoo industry."

Lambeth Council, the local authority in charge of licensing the aquarium, recently inspected the penguins following concerns about the animals’ welfare.

Their usual enclosure was temporarily shut for a number of weeks while a refurbishment took place, with the animals moved to a separate habitat.

The Express was told by the aquarium it would be for a “short time” and the revamp included “routine cleaning and a refresh”.

But animal welfare groups demanded the council do an inspection as they said they were not aware of a suitable second area that could be an adequate home to the penguins for a number of weeks.

Isobel McNally, Freedom for Animals' campaigns officer, said: "Gentoo penguins are ocean animals, and nothing short of a vast expanse of water is sufficient to satisfy their inherent needs to dive and swim. The pitiful pool in Sea Life London Aquarium provides a depth of around half of what a wild gentoo penguin would dive to in their shortest exploratory dives, and around a tenth of their full diving capacity. In the wild, they dive up to 450 times per day. In the aquarium, they can only dive in what amounts to a miniscule paddling pool. These animals deserve better."

The Daily Express has backed Born Free and Freedom for Animals’ calls for the animals to be moved to a more suitable enclosure.

A petition calling for them to be moved has amassed more than 4,700 signatures.

This newspaper was previously threatened with legal action for daring to call the penguins captive.

A Lambeth Council spokesman said: “We understand the concerns that have been raised over the penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium. We subsequently organised a visit to the facility to discuss the refurbishment of the penguin enclosure, and to assess the space where the penguins are being housed while the works are being completed.

“We are satisfied with the conditions in which the penguins are currently being kept, and with the plans for the refurbishment of the displayed penguin enclosure.

“We understand that Sea Life London Aquarium are currently operating to EAZA standards and in fact keep fewer penguins than maximum allowed by these standards. We will continue, as always, to attend and carry out inspections, as required by the Zoo Licensing Act.”

Dr Jo Judge, CEO of BIAZA, said: “The zoo and aquarium sector in Britain is one of the most highly regulated and robust in the world, with some of the very highest animal welfare standards including regular independent assessments by Local Authorities and by animal experts appointed by government.

"Individual animals undergo continual welfare monitoring. Indoor facilities can help enable the provision of precise environmental conditions, optimised for good welfare.

"As a charity we have been working closely with Defra to drive forward more improvements to standards set out in regulation and their enforcement and we will continue our mission for the sake of animals everywhere.”

A Sea life London Aquarium spokeswoman said: “The welfare of all the animals in our care is of paramount importance to us at Sea Life and we are committed to delivering the highest levels of care through our team of dedicated welfare experts, both internal and external.

“Sea Life conforms to all requirements under the Standards of Modern Zoo Practice by providing the relevant zoo licensing authorities with access to its animal records.

“This is in addition to regular visits including zoo licence inspections by these local authorities, alongside additional external inspectors and independent vets, who monitor animal welfare and data on an ongoing basis and will continue to do so.

“SLLA also carries out its own regular health checks on all the animals in its care, while an independent specialist vet also visits every two months for routine assessments, and can also be contacted daily with any other concerns.

“The Gentoo penguin habitat at SLLA was designed with help and advice from specialist vets. It provides an excellent balance of water and land for the penguins which enables them to express their normal behaviours and there is space for them to ensure they have sufficient privacy.

“As part of its overall mission, SLLA provides an opportunity to share the wonders of the natural world in an accessible manner. With the opportunity to educate more than a million people who visit SLLA from all around the globe each year to care for the world’s oceans and the marine life within it, we believe this is a hugely positive thing.”

To sign the petition to free the penguins, visit this page.

Sea Life London Aquarium:

Main enclosure area approx. 115m² 

Number of penguins in the colony: 15

Year colony established: 2011 -

Part of a breeding programme: Yes

No access to outdoors

Owner: Merlin Entertainment

Edinburgh Zoo:

Main enclosure area approx. 1,830m2 

Minimum number of penguins in colony: Approx. 100

Year colony established: 1913

Part of a breeding programme: yes

Has outdoor access

Owner: Royal Zoological Society of Scotland

The Deep, in Hull:

The penguins “are housed in an enclosure with 70m² of land area and a 42.5m2 (60,000 litre) pool with a deep (2m) and shallow (1.25m) section 

Minimum number of penguins in colony: Approx 15

Year colony established: 2014

Part of a breeding programme: Yes

There appears to be restricted to balcony access in cooler months

Owner: Hull City Council

Sea Life Centre Birmingham:

Main enclosure: Estimated 140m2 of habitable space based on publicly accessible  information)

Minimum number of penguins in colony: 12

Year colony established: 2014

Part of a breeding programme: yes

No access to outdoors

Owner: Merlin Entertainment