SYRACUSE - The Rosamond Gifford Zoo's new Humboldt penguins weren't shy about coming out to meet the neighbors Wednesday.

The zoo's newest animals made their much-awaited debut with a dance, parade and a literal splash before more than 300 onlookers and dignitaries.

After spending almost three months out of view while adjusting to their new home, the 18 penguins helped show off the zoo's new $3.7 million "Penguin Coast" exhibit.

"They were a little reluctant initially - but there's no holding them back now," said Nancy Porter, the zoo's aquarium collections manager. "Once they came out, they were quite comfortable."

Right on cue, when zoo officials pulled back the curtains to display the new exhibit, a dozen of the penguins dove into the water and began "porpoising" - a playful act of diving in and out of the water while swimming.

To celebrate the debut, zoo staff and employees wore tuxedo T-shirts.

Students from two local elementary schools that raised a combined $1,700 for the exhibit started the festivities with a penguin song and dance and then a penguin-costumed parade across the zoo courtyard.

Director Anne Baker said the zoo expects the penguins to be its most popular attraction - even bigger than its famous Asian elephants.

"People are fascinated with penguins. They are very social animals. They live in colonies but they know each other as individuals. They each have their own personalities. They're complex, interesting and lively. They almost come across like funny little people," Baker said.

Humboldt penguins are one of 17 species of penguins, all of which reside in the Southern Hemisphere. Humboldt penguins are native to Chile and Peru, but because of rising water temperatures, guano harvesting and overfishing, they have become endangered, with fewer than 40,000 remaining in the wild.

The exhibit mimics the Humboldt penguins' native habitat along the dry, arid, rocky coasts of Peru and Chile and features a 50,000-gallon fresh water pool and burrows for nesting.

Six different viewing windows - including two with full underwater views - are available for the public to observe the penguins swimming, waddling along the rocky shore and exploring their indoor holding area. The holding area window will allow visitors to see the penguins year-round, even while the penguins are molting.

Unlike most of the 13 other penguin exhibits in North America, the Syracuse zoo built a pool that is both heated and cooled for year-round use, Baker said.

The penguins came from Sea World San Diego (10), the Philadelphia Zoo (2), the Oregon Zoo (4) in Portland and the Brookfield Zoo (2) near Chicago.