SEA LIFE Sydney Look to Name Penguin Chick

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: January 20, 2021 11:45 am

A gentoo penguin chick during a daily check at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

Photo Credit: SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium have prepared a birth certificate for the chick of famous penguin couple Sphen and Magic. There is only one problem they don’t yet have a name to include on the certificate.

To mark penguin awareness day (held on January 20th) the aquarium in Sydney, Australia has put out a call to help name the chick. The person who suggests the winning name will be rewarded with a chance to step on the ice and waddle around with the penguin family.

A gentoo penguin chick with its parent at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

Photo Credit: SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

“The baby chicks are just as big as their parents now and they need names!” said Kerrie Dixon, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium’s Penguin Supervisor. “We thought the best way to celebrate Penguin Awareness Day and raise awareness for the role our adorable colony plays in driving awareness for their wild counterparts and the threats to their survival, is to give Sphen and Magic fans around the world the chance to name their second chick!”

Penguins have all of their sexual organs internally and as such gender is not used to name them. Instead the chicks name should come from its personality. For this chick it is brave, bold and loves food!

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“We absolutely love this time of year when we welcome babies into the colony! Gentoo penguins are known for their playful and curious characters, so we have decided to let the chicks’ “penguinalities” shine through before choosing the most adorable and appropriate names,” said Sarina Walsh, Bird Manager at SEA LIFE Melbourne.

Now that you know the personality of the chick waddle over to the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and suggest you name including a 25 word explanation. You can find their website here – SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

A gentoo penguin egg begins to hatch at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

Photo Credit: SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

You can be as creative or as meaningful as possible with your suggestion. The person who suggests the winning name will receive a penguin birth certificate and a chance to take a rare trip on the ice at the Sub-Antarctic Zone. If you don’t live in NSW you can dial in for a private zoom call with the penguin family instead.

Sphen and Magic went viral in 2018 when this same-sex couple adopted and incubated their first chick. It was named Lara by keepers but nicknamed SPHENGIC by the public.

In 2020 they reunited to adopt a second chick with their egg hatching in November 2020. This was one of the seven chicks hatched at the aquarium in 2020.