After Moo Deng, meet Pesto, the giant baby penguin at Melbourne Aquarium

Pesto, a king penguin chick at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, has captured hearts with his extraordinary size and charm.
Pop Culture & Art | September 27, 2024

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium’s king penguin chick, Pesto, has gained widespread fame thanks to his impressive size and growing fanbase. Born in late January, Pesto weighed less than a pound but has since ballooned to a massive 51.8 pounds—far exceeding typical adult king penguins, who weigh between 31 and 37 pounds. "He eats more than 25 fish a day and has good genes," aquarium senior keeper Michaela Smale told 9News, crediting his biological father, Blake, for passing down his large frame.

Pesto's popularity soared after the aquarium hosted a gender reveal party earlier this month, which drew significant attention. According to NPR, caretakers had to conduct blood tests to determine Pesto's sex, as king penguins are difficult to distinguish by appearance alone. As his fame grew, Smale said the aquarium saw an increase in social media traffic, footfall, and web traffic as visitors flocked to see the oversized chick.

Although Pesto is still covered in fluffy brown down, Jacinta Early, the aquarium’s education supervisor, told the Associated Press that he will lose his baby fluff over the next few months and eventually settle into a more typical adult weight of around 33 pounds.

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