A penguin chick had its first aquatic adventure at the Shedd Aquarium on Thursday.
The Magellanic penguin chick, hatched May 12, is the first penguin chick born at the aquarium since Diego in 2015, according to a Shedd Aquarium news release.
The chick weighed 95 grams at birth. At 2 to 3 months old, the chick is expected to reach the height and weight of an adult penguin, which is 9 pounds and range in height from 24 to 30 inches, according to several penguin enthusiasts websites.
The chick stayed in the nest with its parents, who share brooding and feeding responsibilities equally, until around 75 to 90 days after it is hatched.
A major milestone—our Magellanic #penguin chick has hit the water! Penguins are born with a fluffy down that they slowly shed, growing in waterproof feathers. This allows them to swim and dive, which our little chick did for the first time! pic.twitter.com/c0MhL1q7hc
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) August 9, 2018
After one year, a genetic test will determine the chick’s gender. Around that time, the chick is expected to be named.
