Everyone expects Spring to bring rabbits and baby chicks, but “penguins”?

This past Saturday, South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, revealed its new exhibit: Penguin Planet.

Four Magellanic penguins from were flown into Charleston from SeaWorld San Diego in February for their March 21st debut.

The penguins have been adjusting well, by frolicking, swimming, and eating. (See them in action on Penguin Cam[download required]!) Post and Courier reports the penguins have been having a great time in their new home and show no signs of stress. They also reported that Clint Ball, the aquarium’s senior biologist, said they are on loan from SeaWorld for a year and then will return to their 40 member “waddle” (a group of penguins). You can read more about this in Post and Courier’s article Penguins Visit Aquarium.

Typically penguins are thought of as being cold climate fans, but the Magellanic variety actually prefer warmer climes like Charleston. In the wild, Magellanic penguins are found around Chile and Argentina and migrate north to Peru and Brazil in the colder times of year.

Find more SC Zoos, Observatories, Planetariums, and Aquariums.

Read more about SC Wildlife Refuges and Natural Habitat Preserves.

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University of South Carolina’s Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology is interested in what lies beneath Charleston Harbor (view a map of Charleston Harbor defenses). Underwater archaeologist James Spirek is traveling to the bottom of Charleston Harbor on an expedition to find remains of Civil War-era shipwrecks.

Spirek expects to find many ships, since Charleston had a “strategic position” in the war. Spirek went on to say, “We’re treating this area as one giant battlefield, as opposed to a number of separate smaller ones.” Finding the exact locations of the ships will also help determine battle strategies on the water, as far as whether a ship was used for tactical or strategic positions, counter-measures, or blockade running. Spirek also expects to find submerged coastal-defense barriers, torpedoes, and other relics of naval warfare.

A secondary effort of the exploration is to mark or begin excavation in the historical areas since beach renourishment projects, channel widening, and other projects involving human intervention could damage the shipwrecks.

“The project is being funded by a grant from National Park Service through their American Battlefield Protection Program,” Spirek said.

The search begins this month.

Learn more about South Carolina’s Civil War Battles.

See more South Carolina’s Civil War Maps.