Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Dyan deNapoli is a noted penguin expert, TED speaker, and award-winning author. After co-managing the penguin colony at Boston’s prestigious New England Aquarium for nine years, she founded her educational company, The Penguin Lady, in 2005 to teach both children and adults about penguin biology, behavior, and conservation.

During her aquarium tenure, Dyan helped manage the groundbreaking rescue of 40,000 penguins from the Treasure oil spill in South Africa. Her book about that experience for adults, The Great Penguin Rescue, is the recipient of several literary awards. Her first book about penguin biology and behavior for children, All About Penguins, was released to rave reviews in 2020. 

A 30-year veteran of public speaking, Dyan is a frequent guest expert on conference stages, podcasts, TV, and radio, including for CNN and the BBC. She has given five TEDx talks, and wrote and narrated a popular video about penguin conservation for TED-Ed (the educational branch of TED). Her talks for the TED platform have been viewed more than one million times.

Dyan has spoken to audiences worldwide, including on four previous voyages to Antarctica. It should come as no surprise that Antarctica is her favorite place on the planet! She is excited to share her knowledge and passion for both the penguins and the place with her fellow travelers.