Sphen, Magic & Sphengic
Vale Sphen | 2012 - 2024
Staff at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium are heartbroken to share the news that Sphen, one-half of the world’s most famous and loved gentoo penguin couples, has sadly passed away. Fans of Sphen and Magic are encouraged to leave a message of support to the team or a tribute to Sphen.
The Sphengic Story!
Same sex penguin couple, Sphen and Magic began developing a strong bond in 2018 and became inseparable before breeding season. They were constantly seen waddling around and going for swims together in the Penguin Expedition.
As breeding season fast approached, the couple started collecting ‘pebbles’ to create a nest in their spot, and now have more pebbles than any other couple! Gentoo parents keep their eggs warm on pebble nesting rings scattered throughout the Macquarie Island exhibit. Swapping duties daily, while one of the parents are doing their best to incubate the egg, the other is patrolling the perimeters of the nest, warding off any potential pebble thieves or over-inquisitive neighbours.
To ensure the couple were not excluded from the season, Magic and Sphen were given a dummy egg to allow them to practice incubating and develop their skills. They were absolute naturals and displayed great care for their egg, so much so, the team at Sea Life Sydney fostered a real egg to them from another couple who had two.
In October of 2018, the two successfully hatched baby SPHENGIC!
Today, the couple are still going strong and have paired up for a third breeding season!
Latest Sphen & Magic News
Five Magical Years of Sphen and Magic!
Oct 2023
Our favourite Gentoo Penguin duo is still going strong! In fact, our penguin keepers say they're one of the most bonded pairs. You'll always spot them side by side in their special spot, often teaming up to protect it together.
Four years of our faves!
30/10/22
Continuing in their new nesting location from the previous year, Magic and Sphen continue to
have the biggest and most neatly stacked nest in the exhibit. Their little one, Clancy, pairs up with a partner of his own for the first time.
Sphen and Magic - 3 years strong!
29/11/2021
They’ve outlasted Elon Musk and Grimes, and even Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, as this week - Sphen and Magic - the famous same-sex penguin couple from SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium are celebrating their third anniversary!
Sphen and Magic are going to Mardi Gras!
10/02/2021
A waddling extravaganza is headed down the Mardi Gras Parade at the Sydney Cricket Ground this year with a very loud and very proud message – incorporate more LGBTQI+ content and diverse families into NSW’s curriculum!
The chick has a name!
5/02/2021
We put the call out to all our Sphen and Magic fans to name their newest chick. After some deliberation our penguin team have picked a winner: Clancy Carpenter or CC for short!
Name Sphen & Magic's new chick
20/01/2021
Our colony of seven Gentoo Penguin chicks are all grown up, there’s just one problem… the birth certificate of Sphen and Magic’s baby is missing a name and we need your help! We are putting out a call out for the public to help name the chick of the world’s most famous gay penguin couple and win the chance to meet the waddling family on the ice in our Sub-Antarctic Zone!
Sphen & Magic become second time dads
22/11/2020
We are excited to announce that after a successful breeding season for our colony of Gentoo penguins we have welcomed some adorable new penguin chicks. Plus our famous same sex power couple, Sphen and Magic have become second time dads!
Sphengic All Grown Up
23/01/2020
She's all grown up! The world's most famous penguin chick is getting her adult feathers! For all of the Sphen and Magic fans asking, none of our eggs were fertile this year, making Sphengic still the youngest in the colony.
Penguin chick gender reveal
18/01/2019
Three months after capturing the hearts of the world in October 2018, the sex of our first sub-Antarctic penguin chick (fostered by same-sex couple Sphen and Magic) can finally be confirmed after DNA test results have returned!
We are excited to announce the penguin we’ve grown to love as ‘Baby Sphengic’ is……… a GIRL!
1 Year of Sphengic
30/10/2019
Our same sex penguin power couple Sphen and Magic are stronger than ever this breeding season and keepers are rejoicing! Sphen and Magic began developing a strong bond and became inseparable in early 2018, displaying such a loyal partnership that the keepers gave them a foster egg to raise in October 2018. Fast forward one year and baby Sphengic has just turned one!
This breeding season, the famous penguin couple wasted no time in setting up the biggest (and neatest) nest, created with a beautiful arrangement of ‘ice pebbles’. Keepers didn’t hesitate in fostering them an egg for the second year in a row from a couple who weren’t able to care for the two eggs they had.
Sphengic Learns to Swim
9/01/2019
Baby Sphengic, who is now just three months old, was given one of its routine health checks, with keepers checking its flippers, beak and weight before being given the all-clear to jump in for a swim with the assistance of Penguin Department Supervisor, Tish Hannan.
Introducing our newest arrival!
26/10/2018
Two weeks after our fabulous love birds, Sphen and Magic became a viral sensation, we are so excited to announce that the same-sex couple have welcomed their fostered baby chick into the world!
Born on Friday 19th October at 5:45pm weighing just 91 grams, the unnamed chick has also waddled into the history books as the attraction’s first sub-Antarctic penguin chick since the colony first joined the Darling Harbour family in November 2016!
#LoveWins
12/10/2018
It’s breeding season at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, and this year, same-sex couple Sphen and Magic, collectively known as Sphengic, are the attraction’s newest couple!! Sphen and Magic began developing a strong bond and became inseparable before breeding season, and are constantly seen waddling around and going for swims together in the Penguin Expedition exhibit at Sea Life Sydney.
As breeding season fast approached, the couple started collecting ‘ice pebbles’ to create a nest in their spot, and now have more pebbles than any other couple - by far!
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Related News Articles
Sphen and Magic are stronger than ever!
Our same sex penguin power couple Sphen and Magic are stronger than ever this breeding season and our keepers are rejoicing!
Read more
#LoveWins at Penguin Expedition
It’s breeding season at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, and this year, same-sex couple Sphen and Magic, collectively known as Sphengic, are the attraction’s newest couple!!
Read more
Introducing our newest arrival!
Born on Friday 19th October at 5:45pm weighing just 91 grams, the unnamed chick has also waddled into the history books as the attraction’s first sub-Antarctic penguin chick
Read more