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Flight of the… Penguin?

Floyd and Roxy’s chick hatched around June 25. Now, nearing 50 days old, the chick moved into phase 2 three weeks ago. It’s not so much a flight of the fledging, but it certainly represents a big change for this chick’s development!

Samantha Eye's Snapshot of the Penguin Chick

Samantha Eye’s Snapshot of the Penguin Chick

From our partners at the Aquarium of the Pacific:

Thank you so much for all your enthusiasm, notes, photos, and more. You may have noticed that the penguin chick is no longer on camera. At this point we take the chick behind the scenes were they learn to take fish from our biologists. This allows them to become accustomed to our staff and regular health checks since the parents will no longer care for them. In their natural habitat, the parents go back to sea leaving the chicks to fend for themselves after fledging. At the Aquarium, they have a team of experts waiting to care for them. We expect the chick to go on exhibit in September/October and will know if it’s a male or female by then. Look forward to the cam being switched to another area sometime next week.

Some of the penguins in the Aquarium’s June Keyes Penguin Habitat were rescued after being stranded off the coast of Brazil. Roxy is one of the rescued penguins who was able to pair up and start a family at the Aquarium. Her partner, Floyd, was born in the U.S. at another institution.

You can see highlights from hatchling to fuzzy chick on the Live Cam link, and check in on mom, dad and the rest at the Penguin Beach Live Cam while we await more news!