SEA LIFE London has welcomed the only Gentoo penguin chicks to be born in England this year following a successful nesting season for the Southbank-based aquarium.
The fluffy pair – who weighed just 105g and 98g (about the weight of an orange) when hatched – are currently being cared for by penguin parents Ripley and Elton and adoptive parents, Max and Snork.
The two chicks, who are now a month old, are settling well into their new home alongside the rest of the colony, which includes same-sex couple Marama and Rocky, who adopted a penguin chick called Ziggy back in 2019.
The hatching process for the new arrivals began in May when the first chick began pipping (the first point where a chick breaks through an egg). This was then the cue for the second egg to begin the same process. Although the two eggs were laid at different times, the second egg quickly caught up as it heard the activity of the first egg and responded, enabling them to hatch at a similar time.
The newest members of SEA LIFE London Aquarium’s colony of Gentoo penguins are the latest chicks to be born at the attraction in recent years as part of a European-wide conservation programme.
Gentoo penguins are just one of the many marine creatures that can be seen at SEA LIFE London, with others including Dwarf Crocodiles, Nurse Sharks and Sea Turtles. Visitors will be able to catch a glimpse of the tiny new chicks at the attraction’s Penguin Point inside Polar Adventure.
For further information on visiting SEA LIFE London – and SEA LIFE centres across the UK – go to www.visitsealife.com
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