when covid closed chicago's shedd aquarium in march, the penguins toured the halls lighting up our livesllions of views. surprising bridget coglin, shedd's president and ceo. >> i was getting emails from people i hadn't heard from in years. >> reporter: they said, we saw your penguins. >> exactly. not only did they say i saw your penguins but there was this sense of peace and gratitude that came across, thank you, i needed this. i needed this mental recess. >> you know how so many of us are being asked to stay in? in chicago it means they could let the penguins out. >> reporter: they became a sensation. and wellington here, a star. whether enjoying the fish or seeing eye to eye with a beluga. their popularity exploded just as the country shut down. not a coincidence, says coglin. >> the pandemic for everyone has been omnipresent. yet for one minute, you look nature in the eye, whether it be a shark or a penguin or rescued sea otter, the pandemic fades away. >> all right. there is georgia -- >> reporter: the animal caregiver says the walks are nothing new. >> gives them great physical exe

. >> diaz: finally tonight, the penguins of chicago's shedd aquarium have always been popular, but them world famous. and this week, we made a field trip. this was the waddle seen 'round the world. when covid closed chicago's shedd aquarium in march, the penguins toured the halls, lighting up our lives and the internet. they got millions of views, surprising bridget coughlin, shedd's president and c.e.o. >> and i was getting emails from people i hadn't heard from in years. >> diaz: and they said, "we saw your penguins!" >> yes, exactly. and not only did they say, "i saw your penguins" but there was this sense of peace and gratitude that came across-- "thank you, i needed this. i needed this mental recess." >> reporter: you know how many of us are being asked to stay in, in chicago that meant they could let the penguins out. >> diaz: they became a sensation, and wellington here a star. whether enjoying the fish or seeing eye to eye with a beluga, their popularity exploded, just as the country shut down, not a coincidence, says coughlin. >> the pandemic for everyone has been omnipresent,