Pesto the penguin growing up quick; sheds his baby brown coat
Need a break from the doom and gloom? Catch Pesto the King penguin these holidays before he loses all of his cuddly fluff. Matthew Parkhill reports.
Pesto the penguin, the record-breaking viral sensation at Melbourne’s Sea Life Aquarium, has hit his teenage years and is losing his iconic brown fluff. The baby King penguin who stole Tiktok’s attention will lose his coat over the next two weeks.
With drapes of yellow feathers around his neck like his parents, of whom he weighs nearly both their weights combined, Pesto has begun to moult out of his brown baby coat and sport his fluff like an 80s fur jacket.
From cuddly and cute to ‘it’s not a phase mum!’ Pesto looks exactly like every teenager's confused wardrobe situation.
Born on the 31st of January, Pesto first became a viral sensation when Melbourne Aquarium announced he was the largest chick the centre had ever bred.
The star has since become a viral sensation on Tiktok, attracting crowds from all over the world and even pop singers Olivi Rodrigo and Katy Perry.
Keepers told ABC News the giant weighed 24.8 kilograms at the start of October, but is now slimming down for his #summerbod.
Pesto has started dieting and working out within his creche, preparing for his first dive. Photo: Matthew Parkhill
Pesto’s girth is largely due to his lean diet of at least 25 fish a day–double what his parents typically eat. According to Sea Life, chicks typically weigh in at 18kgs, but Pesto has smashed that record, owing to his father’s genes and comfortable environment.
As Pesto moults, a cycle every penguin goes through to rejuvenate their coat around breeding season, he will develop the sleek black and yellow coat that King penguins are known for.
King penguins are the second largest in the Antarctic penguin family. Their cousins, the Emperor penguins, typically sit around 120 cm and 40 kg, with King penguins half their weight and a head shorter at 70-100cm, according to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition
During the moulting process penguins shed all of their old feathers to become waterproof again, typically taking three to four weeks. Once Pesto has lost his famous brown coat, and all that puppy fat, he’ll be ready to take his first swim.
King Pesto, looking down on his skinny siblings. Photo: Nellie Wilsher
Melbourne Aquarium boasts several successful breeding programs, including being the first to breed Weedy Sea Dragons in captivity and preserving native Victorian freshwater fish, such as the Purple Spotted Gudgeon.
Students can explore Melbourne Aquarium and visit Pesto before he ditches the baby fluff with concession prices starting at $36.50 via their online booking system. Proceeds help fund Sea Life’s conservation efforts.
Book soon and you may even be able to catch Pesto before he loses the chub and takes his first swim!
Video: Nellie Wilsher
