Lana Gonzalez

A dedicated leader in animal care with more than 20 years of hands-on experience, Lana Gonzalez brings deep expertise and passion to her role as manager, penguins at Shedd Aquarium. After caring for a wide range of marine mammals in Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium, she now leads the team responsible for the daily care, welfare and well-being of the aquarium’s vibrant penguin population.

Gonzalez and her team oversee the care of approximately 40 Magellanic and rockhopper penguins, supporting every stage of their annual life cycle—from nesting and breeding to chick rearing and seasonal molting. Her leadership helps ensure the colony’s health while supporting natural behaviors year-round.

Before shifting her primary focus to penguins, Gonzalez coordinated care for Shedd’s sea otter raft, managing enrichment programs and nutrition. She also played a key role in several sea otter pup arrivals, providing round-the-clock care and helping pups develop essential skills such as grooming and foraging.

Trained through the National Association for Interpretation, Gonzalez also is a certified interpretive guide (CIG), a designation that helps strengthen guest engagement at Shedd.