Penguin trainer Chris Gaus encourages the team of penguins at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh to take the plunge for the first time in the new Penguin Point pool.

PITTSBURGH — The National Aviary's new $1.7 million African penguin exhibit, Penguin Point, will open to the public at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The aviary's current team of penguins, Stanley, Simon, Sidney, Elvis and Patrick, will be joined by a flock of new penguins in the outdoor exhibit.

Penguin Point affords up-close, 360-degree views of African penguins swimming, playing, nesting and scaling rocks in an open-air space.

A wheelchair accessible Kids ViewTube under the exhibit provides underwater views of the penguins as they dive and "fly" through the pool, while domed bubbles allow young guests the chance to pop up in the middle of the penguin group.

The new 2,300 square-foot African penguin exhibit features several new penguins that are of genetic importance and will likely be bred at the National Aviary as part of the African Penguin Species Survival Plan, a monitored breeding program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

African penguins are listed as "vulnerable" to extinction on the Red Data list. Their wild populations, once numbering in the millions, have dropped to just 27,000 breeding pairs, a 50 percent drop in just two years.

The grand opening activities will continue through Monday.

Upcoming aviary activities include:• Early Bird Special, a behind-the-scenes tour, 8:30 a.m. June 6. Cost: $18 for adults, $15 for children. Reservations are required. Call 412-323-7235, Ext. 209.• Summer Solstice Party, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 20.• Father's Day, June 21. Free admission for fathers and grandfathers.• Safety Day, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 11.• Night In The Tropics annual summer fiesta, 7 p.m. July 25. Tickets are $50, or $100 for a VIP ticket; includes entertainment and food.Regular hours at the aviary are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Friday, and then 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for the summer through Sept. 7.Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for senior citizens, and $8.50 for children 2 to 12.The aviary is at 700 Arch St. near Schenley Park.• The new FliteZone Outdoor Free-Flight Bird Show will open Saturday as well.The new cast doubles the size of previous shows and features new species that will provide the show's signature aerial maneuvers.The shows will continue through Sept. 7.FliteZone runs twice daily Wednesdays through Sundays in the aviary rose garden, weather permitting. Show times are 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.For more information call 412-323-7235 or visit the Web site, www.aviary.org.

Penguins at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh sun themselves in the new 2,300 square-foot African penguin exhibit, Penguin Point, which opens Saturday.