Penguin chick makes history at California aquarium. Why is it a ‘remarkable milestone’?
A wee penguin’s hatching at a California aquarium marks a historic first for its species.
The chick, which debuted on New Year’s Day, is the first little blue penguin to hatch on the West Coast, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego said in a Feb. 1 news release.
“This moment, years in the making, marks a remarkable milestone in the aquarium’s penguin conservation efforts,” the aquarium said in the release.
Kayla Strate, the aquarium’s assistant curator of birds, said in the release that her “team is beyond excited” about the penguin’s arrival, adding that the aquarium’s colony “is truly a diverse group.”
“Each breeding success makes a meaningful addition to the genetic diversity of little blue penguin populations in the U.S.,” Strate said.
New chick making strides
The new chick is growing fast, according to the aquarium.
In less than a month’s time, the aquarium said the chick has “nearly tripled in size, growing from 29 to over 800 grams,” meaning it’s now about 2 pounds.
The chick was initially eating “blended formula of fish, krill and vitamins” but is now switching it up a bit with formula and “a few pieces of fish a few times a day.”
The penguin will soon be chowing down on whole fish, the aquarium said.
As the chick continues to grow, it will molt and lose its “fluffy down feathers,” which are not waterproof, at around 3 months old, the aquarium said.
This is when the little chick will be ready to “join the rest of the colony in the exhibit,” the aquarium said.
For now, the chick, whose sex will be announced later, will remain behind the scenes in the aquarium’s Penguin Care and Conservation Center, the aquarium said.
The smallest penguin species
Standing at about 10 inches tall, little blue penguins are the smallest penguin species, according to the aquarium. They “are native to the coastal dunes and rocky shores of Southern Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.”
In the wild, little blue penguin populations “are facing numerous challenges from climate change,” according to the aquarium.
Warmer waters lead penguins “venture to colder, deeper waters to find food,” the aquarium said. This, in turn, affects their health, “making it more difficult for them to nest and breed.”
“The hatching of our first Little Blue Penguin chick is a major milestone for how today’s aquariums can make a difference in a changing planet,” Harry Helling, the aquarium’s executive director, said in the release.
This story was originally published February 2, 2024 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Penguin chick makes history at California aquarium. Why is it a ‘remarkable milestone’?."
