Sea Life Sydney Aquarium has welcomed new Gentoo Penguin chicks, and among the new arrivals is a chick hatched from an egg cared for by the aquariums resident queer couple Sphen and Magic.

The babies privately hatched in the aquarium’s Sub-Antarctic Zone over the last month with the oldest arriving mid-October while the youngest’s birth certificate currently reads ‘two weeks young’.

Still comfortably cuddling up to their incredible parents, the babies are closely being monitored and weighed daily by their dedicated team of Penguin Carers who say they are healthy and rapidly growing.

“We are beyond excited to welcome the new penguin chicks to our colony. They are doing really well and gaining weight. They started at around 95grams, now our oldest is almost 2kg and the youngest is sitting at around 399grams,” said Penguin Supervisor Kerrie Dixon.

Parents of the new chicks include SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium’s famous gay penguin couple, Sphen and Magic, who have adopted and hatched their second egg. The parents made headlines in 2018 as the aquarium’s first Gentoo penguins to successfully incubate and raise a chick – a baby girl named Lara.

A testament to their incredible parenting skills, Lara is a bright penguin who took part in this year’s breeding season by learning to build a nest and incubate eggs.

OIP Staff

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