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Pesto, the oversized baby penguin, is gobbling up fish and stealing hearts

“Pesto the Penguin: From Fluffy Chick to Internet Sensation”

Pesto the king penguin chick at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia is making waves both in person and online. This nine-month-old penguin weighs a whopping 46 pounds, which is significantly larger than the average weight of fully grown king penguins, which typically range from 20 to 30 pounds. Pesto’s size has made him a huge hit with visitors and fans worldwide.

The aquarium credits Pesto’s size to his hearty appetite of 25 fish per day, good genes, and parenting from his biological dad, Blake, who is the biggest and oldest penguin at the aquarium. Pesto holds the title of being the only king penguin chick to hatch at the aquarium in 2024, after no chicks were born the previous year.

According to Jacinta Early, the aquarium’s education supervisor, Pesto has been consuming an impressive 53 pounds of fish per week, more than his own body weight. As Pesto has grown, so has his online fanbase. His popularity soared after the aquarium held a gender reveal party for him, confirming his status as a male penguin.

Pesto’s gender reveal celebration, which involved cutting a cake filled with blue icing, was captured in social media videos that garnered praise and admiration from viewers. The fluffy king penguin has also gained fame on platforms like TikTok, with videos of him attracting millions of views.

Michaela Smale, a senior keeper at the aquarium, mentioned that Pesto has reached over 1.9 billion people worldwide, leading to increased social media engagement, web traffic, and footfall at the aquarium. Pesto’s upcoming milestone is the shedding of his fuzzy brown down in exchange for sleek black, white, and orange feathers, marking his transition into adulthood.

Despite the anticipated weight loss to around 33 pounds, Pesto will always remain a star attraction at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium. The aquarium even posted a TikTok video of Pesto set to a Katy Perry song, inviting the singer to come visit their VIP (very important penguin) in person.

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