Meet Pesto The Penguin
In September 2024, Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium introduced Pesto to the world. He was the most enormous king penguin chick they had ever seen and has enjoyed superstardom ever since. Weighing in at 21kg and measuring 90cm tall, his chunky frame and impressive height meant he towered over his foster parents and most of the colony's biggest adults.
Why Is Pesto The Penguin So Big?
While the aquarium's marine biologists say it is completely natural for penguin chicks to carry a bit of "baby chub," Pesto is on the extreme end. His biological father is the oldest and tallest penguin in the colony, and nothing particularly unusual about his nurture can explain his enormous stature.
Who Are His Parents?
Pesto's biological father is Blake, although he was handed over to his much younger foster parents, Tango and Hudson when he was still just an egg. They weigh a meagre 11kg each, meaning their adopted son is over twice as heavy as both of them combined!
When Was He Born?
Pesto was born on 31st January 2024 and was the only new chick the aquarium saw hatch that year. Despite his huge size, his egg was a completely normal size, and his birth weight was just 200g.
Will Pesto Lose Weight?
A generous diet of over 30 fish per day shows us that this famous penguin has one heck of an appetite, but his keepers expect him to slim down once his growth spurt is over. They say it is natural for young penguins to carry a bit extra timber, but when he learns to swim and starts shedding some of his chocolate-brown feathers, he won't end up looking quite out of place among his contemporaries as he does now. They expect him to lose up to 15kg in the months leading up to his first birthday.
How Tall Is He?
At nine months old, Pesto measured just under 3 feet.
Where Is Pesto?
Pesto was born and lives at the Sea Life Aquarium in Melbourne, southeast Australia.
What Does Pesto Eat?
It is said that Pesto eats his body weight in fish every week. His diet consists of up to 32 fish daily, with rainbow trout being his favourite. This freshwater fish would not be available if he lived in the wild, which may partly explain his extraordinary weight gain. He can be found tucking into salmon and sand whiting when not gorging on trout. He is also given some vitamin and mineral supplements to ensure proper nutrition.
When Did Pesto Become So Famous?
In September 2024, when Pesto was nine months old, the keepers at his Melbourne aquarium did a gender reveal and announced his extreme weight and size. It didn't take long for every major news agency to pick up on the story, catapulting him to superstardom virtually overnight. This was exacerbated by a visit from Katy Perry, the sixth most followed person on Twitter, who happened to be in Australia performing at the Australian Football League Grand Final. Some conservative estimates reckon he has caught the attention of over 5 billion people worldwide, making him the most popular animal on the planet since a baby hippo in Thailand called Moo Deng became a viral sensation.
Why Is He Called Pesto?
This is a conundrum we're yet to solve. The aquarium often gives its residents a food-related name, although they had to quash rumours that his mother was called Basil.
Pesto The Penguin Toys
It was inevitable that someone would profit from Pesto's fame, so it didn't take long before Sea Life launched merchandise inspired by the world's most famous penguin. This included a T-shirt, tote bag, and plush toy.
