Baby penguins already receive a lot of attention at the aquarium, but one baby penguin in particular is going viral for his rather large frame.
His name is Pesto the penguin, and he’s a 9-month-old, 46-pound King Penguin at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Melbourne, Australia.
The massive baby penguin has received a lot of attention since the internet learned of his impressive size, and he has been a regular hit on the aquarium’s social media accounts since hatching in early 2024.
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“At just nine months old, Pesto tips the scales at a whopping 21kg, thanks to his hearty appetite of 25 fish a day. He’s officially the largest chick SEA LIFE Melbourne has ever seen,” the aquarium’s website says.
Earlier this year, the aquarium threw Pesto a gender reveal party when they learned that he was a boy.
@sealifemelbourneaquarium Our baby King Penguin Pesto is a…
♬ original sound – SEA LIFE Melbourne – SEA LIFE Melbourne
In the video, the staff member explains that they can’t tell the gender of a baby King Penguin just by looking at it. Instead, they send a blood sample to a lab for further analysis before getting an answer.
The aquarium added that Pesto loves enjoying “tender moments with parents Hudson and Tango” when he isn’t doing his “adorable waddles into the colony.”
Why is Pesto the penguin so large?
One of the questions everyone wants answered is why Pesto the penguin is so big. According to SEA LIFE Melbourne, they can contribute his size to two things – good genes and even better parents.
“Firstly, his biological dad, Blake, is our biggest and oldest penguin,” they wrote, which would explain why Pesto has such a large frame. “Secondly, he’s had amazing parents raising him!”
@heraldsun_ Pesto the baby penguin has just broken a new record at Melbourne SEA LIFE as the biggest emperor chick ever! ???? #penguins #animals #melbourne #victoria #winter
♬ original sound – Abdullah Ramadan
But while he might weigh 46 pounds now, they say he’ll lose a lot of it when he fledges.
“So, the combination of good genes and good parents explains his current weight, but he will lose a lot of this when he fledges (develops his adult feathers),” the aquarium added.
Pesto receives a lot of visitors and attention
If you want to visit Pesto and see him up close, then you’re not alone. The baby penguin has been one of the aquarium’s biggest hits recently with people traveling from all over the world to take videos of him.
@tsukinikki pesto has been bulking big time #aquarium #海遊館 #sealife #melbourneaquarium #penguin #penguins #animals #fyp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral
♬ Ed bassmaster – Plantdaddy55
Fans can earn their spot in line by purchasing a general admission ticket to the aquarium, which ranges from $37 to $50+ per person.
@cassssowary very happy to have finally seen this chonk for real life #pestothepenguin #pestopenguin #pesto
♬ original sound – The Original ????
You can also purchase the “Penguin Passport Experience,” which allows you to “head onto the ice and get nearer to our beautiful King and Gentoo penguins,” according to the website.
Pesto isn’t the only animal going viral
Pesto the penguin might be stealing your heart, but make sure you leave some room for Moo Deng!
Moo Deng is a baby pygmy hippo living at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand that has gone viral for its adorable antics and small frame (almost like a baby pig).
The two-month old hippo was born in July and went viral the moment the zoo started posting about it.
Pygmy hippos are unique in that they only grow to be about half the height and a quarter of the weight of a normal hippo. They’re native to West Africa, but are also found in Leone, Guinea and the Ivory Coast.
The emergence of Moo Deng and Pesto on social media is what most of us needed right now.
“pesto and moo deng have completely taken over my timeline and fyp on tik tok. i am obsessed,” said one user on X, while another user commented, “Moo Deng and Pesto are what this world needed fr.”
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I don’t know about you, but we’re eagerly waiting for the next updates from SEA LIFE Melbourne and Khao Kheow Open Zoo!
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