The Penguin colony at the California Academy of Sciences is thriving. The academy has welcomed a record 10 chicks in just 14 months, beginning in November 2022. After a 4-year period without any new chicks, this baby boom marks an important achievement for the aquarium.
Biologist Sparks Perkins reflected on the recent success, “To hatch 10 chicks in just 14 months is truly remarkable, especially if you consider the previous 10 chicks hatched over 10 years. Our penguin care team has years of training in the art and science of egg incubation and chick rearing. We are thrilled to be putting our expertise towards caring for the next generation of African penguins in human care.”
The Steinhart Aquarium participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) in an effort to help conserve the African penguins. The species is endangered due to various factors such as overfishing, oil spills, and disruptions to their habitats.
The chicks spend their first few weeks in their nest with their parents before being cared for by biologists away from the rest of the colony. They then attend “fish school,” where they learn to swim and eat fish before they can join the rest of the colony. After about three months, the chicks can join the rest of the colony and eventually be paired with a mate to continue the process.
You can see some of the new chicks with the rest of the colony at the academy’s annual Penguin Valentine event. The penguins will be presented with red felt valentines during their regular feeding time. The male penguins often present the felt hearts to the female penguins to line their nests. The activity isn’t just adorable for us to watch; it also acts as an enrichment activity for the penguins. You can watch newcomers Ozzie, Fyn, Iggie, and Lazola receive their Valentines on February 14 at 10:30 am.