A new king penguin chick has entered the aquarium villa! Pesto has reached the screens of global animal lovers from the comfort of his home – the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia. He is the only king penguin that has been born at this aquarium since 2022. Currently, Pesto weighs a whopping 51.8 pounds at the young age of only nine months. An average adult king penguin weighs around 31 to 37 pounds, so Pesto has well exceeded his physical standards (Smithsonian Magazine). The celebrity penguin has officially been named the biggest baby penguin to inhabit the aquarium.

Although Pesto was born back in January, he has recently developed a massive fanbase after a video clip from his gender reveal party was released. Since penguins are sexually monomorphic, it is impossible to determine their gender by simply looking at them. The aquarium staff must retrieve a small blood sample from the penguin’s toe and bring it to the lab in order to determine its true sex. According to Michaela Smale, a penguin keeper at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, the Sea Life team typically resorts to making colored cupcakes as a way of announcing a chick’s gender. However, Pesto has established a new tradition of slicing a white cake to reveal the color that corresponds with the penguin’s gender! In the viral clip, the slice of cake was blue, revealing Pesto as a male king penguin (CNN).

Pesto currently stands approximately 3 feet tall and has surpassed the height of his parents. However, he does not resemble them as a chick because king penguins are born with a coat of brown feathers that will eventually shed to reveal a sleek black and white appearance. The shedding process is also known as fledging, which occurs after a penguin learns how to swim. Despite the public’s love for Pesto’s chubby size, the aquarium staff predicts that he will lose a few pounds after his thermal coat is fully shed.

Although Pesto lives in the same exhibit as his biological father, Tango and Hudson, two younger penguins, took on the responsibility of raising him as first time parents. He is happily fed at least 30 fish each day at the aquarium – twice the amount an average adult king penguin would consume. Of course, that means his hefty diet produces a huge amount of waste, requiring the penguin keepers to clean the exhibit multiple times a day (CNN).

The king penguin chick does not only display his quirks and sass amongst his fellow roommates. Pesto’s fame predominantly lies in the hands of social media platforms, where he shows off his adorable personality in silly videos and memes. He is often seen napping on the rocks, following his elders, and enjoying tummy rubs. This diva has recently caught the attention of Yorba Linda High School’s students and teachers. Mrs. Pilkenton (S) perceives Pesto’s virality as a positive outcome because, “Any attention an animal receives is a win for the environment! When people are able to make a connection with wildlife, they are more likely to advocate for their protection.” Fans who are unable to visit the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium can still follow along with the penguin’s growth journey on social media platforms (BBC).