Meet the Chicks: Gentoo and King Penguins at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's

At SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Auckland, penguin fans are treated to the unique experiences of both gentoo and king penguins—two fascinating species with their own distinct approaches to parenting. While both species share a commitment to nurturing their chicks, they differ in the way they care for their young and protect their fragile eggs.

Gentoo penguins, known for their speedy swimming and playful nature, are hands-on parents. Once a gentoo penguin pair lays their eggs, both parents share incubation duties, taking turns to keep their eggs warm. Gentoo chicks hatch after about 35 days, and from then on, the parents work together to feed and protect the young, with both mum and dad taking turns hunting for food while the other stays behind to watch over the chick.

King penguins—the second-largest penguin species in the world—take a more patient and long-term approach. King penguins endure one of the longest incubation periods of any penguin species, with eggs taking around 55 days to hatch. Unlike gentoos, king penguins don’t build nests; instead, they carefully balance the egg on their feet, covered by a flap of warm belly skin called a brood patch. King chicks are unusual in that their baby feathers are brown and fluffy. As they get older they fledge (lose their adorable baby fluff) and grow an adult set of black, white, and yellow feathers. Both parents share the responsibility of keeping the egg warm and, after hatching, raising the chick together through the early, vulnerable stages of its life.

Though different in size, behaviour, and breeding strategies, both the gentoo and king penguins play a crucial role in the conservation programs at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's, delighting visitors with their adorable chicks and heartwarming parental care. 

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Now, let’s dive into some of the stories of these remarkable young penguins and their journeys from egg to chick

 

Penguin Chicks Hatched Over the Years 

We wanted to take a trip down memory lane and go through some of our hatchling stories, join us as we go back in time and meet some of our favourite baby penguins!

Penguin Parenting 

In the wild, when penguin chicks reach around 30 days old, their parents leave to feed and prepare for their moult, leaving the chicks behind in groups called crèches for safety and socialisation. During this time, the adults venture far from the colony, sometimes travelling great distances to find food. The chicks rely on each other for warmth and protection while awaiting their parents' return. At SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's, we carefully recreate this natural behaviour, allowing visitors to witness how penguins nurture their young, but in a more controlled environment where the penguins' safety and well-being are always ensured. Here, the chicks are never far from a helping hand, making it a perfect blend of natural behaviour and conservation care.

Newly hatched Gentoo penguins emerge from eggs that have been incubated by both parents for around 35 days. The hatching process can take up to 48 hours, after which the chicks spend their first few days tucked safely beneath mum or dad. Soon, these baby penguins begin to venture out, delighting visitors as they eagerly seek food and explore their surroundings.

Similarly, King penguins have a unique approach to raising their young. Instead of building nests, both parents take turns balancing their single egg on top of their feet, keeping it warm under a special brood pouch. After an incubation period of about 55 days, the chicks hatch and spend their early days nestled on their parents' feet, safe and warm before they too begin to explore the penguin habitat.

 

In 2013, we welcomed 10 new penguins to the colony! 7 Gentoo and 3 King penguins!

It Doesn't Always Go to Plan 

Sometimes chick hatching can have some complications, in 2016 our team realised one of the King penguin eggs had a hole in it, without help the chick inside would potentially not have survived, so the team removed the egg and placed it inside our incubator to keep it safe for the remaining weeks, carefully monitoring its progress. After having to chip away at the egg as the chick needed help to come out, the chick was then returned to its parents who took over the care.

Some penguins are even single parents, one King penguin mother took amazing care of her egg entirely by herself (this duty is normally shared by both parents) carefully incubating the egg for the entire 59 days, and once it hatched, she ensured her baby was well fed and safe.

Did you know that some Penguins have Same Sex Relationships? 

This same-sex couple is unique for SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's but must be noted that it is common for King Penguins to form a partnership with their own gender. King penguins require a bond rather than a more traditional male/female relationship during their breeding season and the same sex pairing has no impact on the raising of young.

 

 

The couple, affectionately called Thelma and Louise who have been together for 5 years, took on the task of fostering the chick after a female king penguin laid a fertile egg but did not have a mate this season. To reduce the stress on the single mother our Penguin Keepers transferred the egg to the couple to incubate. The penguin chick, born February 26 2017, has been living a happy and healthy life just like the aquarium's other king penguin chick born earlier that year. The two female penguins are very fair in their approach to parenthood and both share the parenting load as a team.

This same-sex pairing is not only a testament to the diverse relationships penguins form, but also highlights how adaptable penguins can be when it comes to fostering and raising chicks. These types of partnerships are crucial in captivity, where fostering chicks can help ensure the success of breeding programs and reduce the strain on single parents. Same-sex penguin pairs have shown they are just as capable of nurturing young, demonstrating that penguin conservation requires flexibility and teamwork.

Lucky and Loveable Chicks!

On Valentine's day of 2021, we had a new King penguin chick arrive! The baby was born to devoted parents Loaf and Solo, who barely left their chicks side, we named this chick Diamond after we held a competition, 7 Year old Carlos chose this name because “Diamond” was the name of his stuffed penguin toy who had been with him throughout his two bone marrow transplants for a rare blood immune disorder.

First Penguin Chick to hatch in 2021

 

Another chick was also born on St. Patricks Day of 2021!  We of course had to name him Patrick! Their parents are Noel and Stretch 

Pssst! If you wanna meet these penguins in person and get up close to them - have a look at the penguin passport!

 

At the end of 2021 we had two more hatchlings arrive!

The first new arrival was a Halloween chick who hatched on 31 October 2021, weighing 80 grams. This sweet little chick spent most of its day keeping cosy under the care of foster parents Oscar and Melody. Her name is Zoi! With a huge personality,  Zoi was named after Winter Olympic snowboarder gold medalist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott. 

 

The second arrival (picture above) hatched on 01 November 2021 son to Tux and Lola. Mother Lola has a special habit of decorating her nest with chunks of ice, and as the chick has been getting bigger the team have seen it playing with these chunks of ice, much to the parent’s delight. Like mother, like baby!  Our Penguin Team named him Nico. He was been named after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic gold medallist freestyle skier, Nico Porteous. Nico is relatively quiet, patient and calm and likes to spend most of the day swimming around in the pool

Nico the Gentoo Penguin

 

Still Winging It! 25 Years of Love in the Penguin World

 

While many people would be surprised to know that despite the myth, penguins don’t always mate for life, this isn’t the case for Gentoo Penguin couple Buster and 99. In 2021 the couple celebrated their 24th nesting season together at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium. 

According to Stats NZ^, the average length of a human marriage in New Zealand is 14 years – which means Buster and 99 have a full decade of successful cohabitation on us mere mortals!

At the time the couple had reared 19 babies, including their eldest goofy and flora.

In  2022 Buster and 99 made it to their silver nesting anniversary

 

What makes a penguin pairing so successful?

• When courting each other for the nesting season, Gentoo Penguins will be seen to call and bow to each other, spending a lot of time together.

• During the nesting period and beyond, Gentoo Penguins share equal responsibilities including collecting rocks, nest building and child raising.
• The ritual of collecting rocks is practical – as the pebbles are a valuable nest building activity. A pair of Gentoo Penguins will already be closely bonded before they begin bringing pebbles to each other to build their nest.

Due to the harsh nature of the Sub-Antarctic islands where the Gentoo Penguins call home, it is extremely hard to raise a chick. Unlike other birds where one parent can raise a whole clutch of eggs by themselves, both penguin parents need to work together to successfully raise their chicks.

For survival, it is crucial that penguins make sure they are with good partner. They can't afford to have a partner that isn't very good at catching food or finding nesting material because this means that their chicks are very unlikely to make it to adulthood. 

For 25 years in a row, Buster has proven himself to be the very best nest builder in 99’s eyes!

 

More Hatchlings!

On 6th February 2022 we had another king penguin hatch! The chick was affectionately known as “brown blob” while awaiting its official name, the chick has since been named Primo! Chosen by penguin enthusiast and SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s fan, Taylah Edwards from Te Puke chose the name Primo as a nod to the mascot of the St John Youth Cadet program. 

This penguin’s parents are Noel and Stretch!

The Three Amigos!

At the end of 2022, we welcomed three Gentoo penguin chicks!

 

The first chick hatched on the 27th of October 2022, weighing 92 grams to proud first-time parents Xena and Dobby, and is a gentle giant who’s long overtaken them in size and weight and loves playing under the saltwater sprinkler!

The second chick hatched just three days later, weighing 89 grams, to Lady and Tux, both experienced parents who have only recently sparked romance together, partnering up for the first time this season.

The third chick is nearly two weeks younger, hatching on the 19th of November, to seasoned parents Melody and Oscar, weighing 97 grams. This chick enjoys sidling up to keepers during feeding times and is beginning to develop their trademark Gentoo “bonnet”, while still sporting a very fluffy down-feather coat.

Conservation Efforts and the Importance of Penguin Breeding Programs 

While these penguin stories may seem charming, they are also part of a broader conservation initiative. SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s penguin breeding program helps ensure that these remarkable birds continue to thrive, even as their natural habitats face increasing threats. Penguins, particularly those in the Sub-Antarctic regions, are vulnerable to warming waters and diminishing food sources. Every chick born here is a testament to the success of our breeding efforts and the important role zoos and aquariums play in conservation worldwide.

 

Educational Impact

By visiting SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s, guests not only witness the incredible parenting efforts of penguins but also leave with a deeper understanding of the challenges these animals face in the wild. This hands-on learning experience can inspire visitors to take action in their daily lives to protect these species, whether through reducing plastic waste, supporting sustainable fishing, or contributing to wildlife conservation efforts.

The Role of Research and Veterinary Care

SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s is not just a sanctuary for penguins but also a hub of veterinary innovation. When Melody, our beloved gentoo penguin, became the second penguin in New Zealand to undergo cataract surgery at the Eye Institute, it marked a significant achievement for penguin care in the country. These kinds of medical interventions provide valuable insights into penguin health, contributing to the well-being of both captive and wild penguins.

Check out the story here 

Everyone Can Contribute to Conservation

Every visitor to SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s plays a role in the broader mission to protect and conserve penguin species. Through programs like ‘Penguins for Penguins’ guests can directly contribute to the well-being of our penguins and the success of our breeding initiatives. The hatching stories we celebrate today are a direct result of the care, attention, and support provided by our keepers—and by the visitors who choose to get involved.