Meet Pesto.

Pesto, a king penguin, was born on January 30, 2024, at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, weighing 200 grams (7.1 oz) at hatching. His biological father, Blake, is also a resident of the aquarium, but the keepers chose two younger penguins, Tango and Hudson, to raise Pesto as foster parents. Pesto marked a significant milestone, being the first king penguin chick born at the aquarium since 2022. He was introduced to the public for the first time in April 2024.

In September 2024, Pesto’s gender reveal event was shared on social media. By then, he had grown to weigh 21 kilograms (46 lbs), making him the largest king penguin chick ever recorded at the aquarium. His diet consisted of around 25 fish per day, adding up to 24 kilograms (53 lbs) of fish per week—an impressive amount for a penguin his age. By September 23, Pesto had reached 90 centimeters (35 inches) in height and 22.5 kilograms (50 lbs) in weight, far exceeding the typical adult king penguin, which generally weighs between 9.5 and 18 kilograms (21-40 lbs). Despite being a chick, Pesto already outweighed his foster parents, Hudson and Tango, although he is expected to lose weight after fledging. His caretakers predict his adult weight will settle around 15 kilograms (33 lbs). Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium attributes Pesto’s large size to both his genetics—his father Blake is the aquarium’s largest penguin—and the attentive care from his foster parents.