THREE LITTLE BLUE PENGUIN CHICKS BORN AT ADVENTURE AQUARIUM

CAMDEN, N.J. (February 26, 2026) – Adventure Aquarium is celebrating the arrival of three Little Blue 
Penguin chicks, growing the Aquarium’s thriving colony of the species. The chicks hatched the first week 
of February, with the first (male) arriving on February 2, the second (female) arriving on February 3 and 
the third (male) arriving on February 5.

The first chick is the sixth offspring of experienced parents Sheila and Spud, who are also the parents of 
Tater Tot (2023), Kiwi (2024) and Saquon (2025), and Sheila’s tenth chick. The two younger chicks were
born to Maremma and Bloke, marking their fourth and fifth chicks together and their first-ever set of 
clutch mates. The pair are also parents to Lovie (2024) and Griffin (2021).

“Sheila and Spud are successful, proven parents and are once again doing a wonderful job with their 
chick, nicely allowing the biologists in the nest each morning to check on the chick’s growth,” said Jamie 
Becker, biologist on the Aquarium’s Birds and Mammals team. “Maremma and Bloke have been doing a 
great job taking care of two chicks and are very protective parents.”

The three chicks join the 19 members of the Little Blue Penguin colony at Adventure Aquarium, whose 
home is known as “Little Blue Beach.” All three chicks have transitioned from parental care on Little Blue 
Beach into biologist care in a dedicated nursery area, where they will learn essential developmental 
skills. Once they are fully grown and have developed their juvenile waterproof feathers, they will be 
gradually introduced back into the colony.

Known for their striking slate-blue feathers, Little Blue Penguins are the smallest species of penguin in 
the world. As a diurnal species, they spend most of their day swimming and foraging at sea, naturally 
found along the coastlines of Southern Australia and New Zealand. Because of their small stature, Little 
Blues are also known as “fairy penguins.”

The Little Blue Penguin hatch comes on the heels of the January 2026 arrival of three critically 
endangered African Penguin chicks at the Aquarium, marking an exciting period of growth across the 
Aquarium’s penguin habitats. Together, the back-to-back hatches underscore Adventure Aquarium’s 
ongoing leadership in species care and conservation.

The Little Blue Penguin chicks will be named by Adventure Aquarium staff as they continue to develop, 
and their names will be announced on the Aquarium’s social media channels. You can follow their 
journey on Instagram @adventureaquarium, Facebook and TikTok @adventureaqua.