Penguin Chick Born at Moody Gardens in Time For Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air just in time for Valentine’s Day as a new baby enters the world at Moody Gardens in Galveston.  Penguin parents Professor and Fischer welcomed their King penguin chick at the Aquarium Pyramid. The new baby penguin is being cared for by its mother and father. King penguins are known to be excellent parents.

Our staff is thrilled to start February with a new penguin chick, and it makes Valentine’s Day that much more special. - Moody Gardens Assistant Curator Diane Olsen.

The chick’s father, Professor, was born in 1998 and is one of the first King penguins to arrive at Moody Gardens. The chick’s mother, Fischer, called Moody Gardens her home after moving from San Antonio’s Sea World.

It’s a beautiful love story that starts with Professor and Fischer falling in love. The courtship begins when the male stands tall and shows off his physique to impress the female. If she likes it, they will call and ‘parade’ with each other before mating.  King penguins incubate the eggs on their feet so there is no nest needed. According to Galveston.com, once an egg is laid, the male and female take turns caring for it by keeping it warm and feeding it while the other heads out to hunt.  Another interesting fact is that King penguins are monogamous and only choose one mate each season, according to oceanwide-expeditions.com.

The Aquarium noticed some territorial issues in the South Atlantic penguin exhibit and had to move the family to a separate area. Two male pairs of King penguins were being territorial  of the land near the new chick. The new little family is doing well and is safe.

You can observe the penguins with a live webcam at the exhibit by going to their website, moodygardens.org.

We are wishing this sweet little family the best!