Pesto, a baby king penguin living at the Sea Life Melbourne aquarium in Australia, is gaining a legion of fans due to his impressive size.
Despite still being a nine-month-old baby, Pesto weighs over 22 kg and is already taller than his parents at 90 cm. While most people recognize penguins as black and white animals, king penguins are born covered in brown feathers.
However, according to experts, once king penguins learn to swim, they begin to lose these feathers, a process known as molting. Additionally, they mentioned that the sex of a penguin is not clear at birth, as they are sexually monomorphic.
To determine the sex of a baby penguin, caregivers must conduct a blood test. Michaela Smale, a penguin keeper who has worked at Sea Life since 2018, told CNN that the Sea Life team usually makes cupcakes to announce the sex of a penguin, an event that is kept within their team.
However, Pesto stole the spotlight early on when they decided to stream his “gender reveal” party. In the clip that quickly went viral, a keeper is seen cutting a white cake to reveal a blue interior.
See this photo on Instagram
Pesto’s biological father, Blake, is one of the largest and oldest penguins at the aquarium. But he is being raised by Tango and Hudson, younger penguins that the Sea Life keepers wanted to experiment with as parents.
Pesto eats about eight fish at each meal. Since he is fed four times a day, that totals over 30 fish a day, double the intake of an average adult penguin. And since he is still a chick, he also receives some supplemental feed from his parents.
However, adulthood is already on the horizon. Pesto has started to lose some of his baby feathers, and swimming lessons from his father will likely begin soon.
“Sometimes, they become quite independent teenagers, so maybe he will be ready for his bad boy phase. I hope he keeps some of his quirky personality, and I hope we can follow his adventures as he becomes part of the colony,” Smale said.
See this photo on Instagram
The story of Pesto has attracted a lot of attention on social media. Notably, Pesto has a dedicated Instagram account, where the aquarium shares updates and cute photos of him and his friends. The posts highlight the fun and unique personalities of the penguins.
The aquarium’s official social media is filled with adorable content, showcasing Pesto’s growth journey and his interactions with other animals. As Pesto continues to grow, fans eagerly await more adventures and adorable moments from this little celebrity.
Whether he’s waddling about, swimming, or simply being his adorable self, Pesto is sure to charm everyone who encounters him, both online and in person. Stay tuned for more updates on this giant penguin’s journey!
