Magellanic Penguin Chick Hatched at the Aquarium of the Pacific to Rescued Penguin Parents to Debut

July 30, 2026

A new Magellanic penguin chick named Ari has joined the flock at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The chick was born to parents Kate and Robbie, who stranded in Brazil in 2010, were rescued, and rehabilitated at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The public is now invited to see this penguin family in the June Keyes Penguin Habitat at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

"Kate and Robbie first paired up for breeding in 2022. After four years, this is their first chick that has successfully been hatched and raised. We are thrilled to welcome the new baby, which hatched on May 9, and now introduce him to his new home," said Megan Smylie, Aquarium of the Pacific sea otter program manager. The Aquarium of the Pacific participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Program (SSP) for breeding Magellanic penguins. This plan ensures the genetic diversity of the Magellanic penguin population living in zoos and aquariums.

Magellanic penguin chicks typically stay with their parents for one to two months, where they'll grow to adult length (twenty-four to thirty inches) by the end of that time. Chicks are then moved to a behind-the-scenes penguin nursery, where they can safely learn how to swim and participate in feedings until they're ready to join the adults in the Aquarium's penguin habitat.

In the wild, penguin parents brood their chicks after they hatch and feed them at one-to-three-day intervals depending on the available food supply. The chicks stay on the nest anywhere from nine to seventeen weeks. About ten days before the chicks fledge, or replace their down with feathers, the parents stop feeding them. Magellanic penguins grow to be medium-sized, and they are temperate species native to the coasts of Argentina and Chile in South America.

At the Aquarium, all the penguins are fed restaurant-quality seafood and receive daily wellness checks. In addition to visiting Ari in person, the public can also see him and the other penguins in the June Keyes Penguin Habitat through webcams, available on the Aquarium's website. To support animals like Ari and the other 12,000 animal ambassadors at the Aquarium, please visit the donation webpage.