Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach has a new resident—and they’re absolutely adorable.
A baby Magellanic penguin hatched on May 22 to proud parents Robbie and Kate. The cute couple was paired together earlier this year as part of the Species Survival Plan in an effort to “…[ensure] the genetic diversity of the Magellanic penguin population living at zoos and aquariums.” These particular species of penguin are native to Argentina and Chile and are often referred to as banded penguins because of their black stripe across their faces and tummies.
This is actually the first Magellanic penguin the aquarium has seen in four years. In nature, the parents take turns watching over their chick and this same sweet dynamic holds true at the aquarium. Currently, this little one is in its nest with the parents and will be there for days to come. You can even check on how this bonding family is doing with their live nest cam below.
According to the aquarium, “…Babies stay with their parents in the nest for about twenty days before heading to a behind-the-scenes nursery.” This is where they’ll learn key skills such as swimming, eating fish, and even socializing with humans. In the case of this baby though, this won’t be for quite awhile. At its current stage, its adorably fluffy feathers are considered water weight. “…It is much safer for the penguin chicks to stay in the nursery until about three months have passed and they have fledged, or replaced their last set of downy feathers with watertight adult feathers.” says Aquarium of the Pacific.
This baby penguin has yet to be named and it’s too early to tell its gender, but we’re sure it’ll be something just as adorable. We can’t wait to see this little one grow. It will be a few months before the general public gets to meet this baby, but not to worry. The aquarium offers a Babies Exhibit where you can meet some of their newest residents like baby otters, teeny-tiny jellyfish, and small cuttlefish until then.
The little one is expected to join the rest of the tiny crew in the fall. To visit Aquarium Of The Pacific and meet its small additions, you can find those details here.
In other adorable news, the L.A. Zoo welcomed an adorable 6ft Masai giraffe calf earlier this year.