Adventure Aquarium reports arrival of three little blue penguin chicks

CAMDEN — Adventure Aquarium has some new residents, and penguin lovers should be thrilled.

Three little blue penguin chicks have hatched recently at the Waterfront attraction, according to a news release.

“We are so excited to have another successful breeding season among our little blue penguin colony," said Nikki Grandinetti, general curator at Adventure Aquarium.

"We have been fortunate to welcome eight chicks over the past three seasons,” Grandinetti said.

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Adventure Aquarium now has 21 little blue penguins in its colony.

The birds "get their name from their plumage of slate-blue feathers and stature as the smallest penguin species," according to the Aquarium's statement.

The first chick, a female named Bananas Foster, survived a parenting problem even before she hatched on Jan. 26.

The bird's first-time parents neglected to sit on and incubate their egg, "a necessary step to keeping a baby chick alive until it hatches," according to the Aquarium's statement.

"Aquarium staff were able to step in and place the egg in an incubator, where it remained until a week before its estimated hatch window," it continued.

The egg then was placed with two penguins described as "tenured parents."

They incubated the egg until its hatch date, then cared for and fed Bananas Foster "until she grew large enough to eat whole fish."

Bananas Foster was then placed in "biologist care to learn how to take fish and other necessary skills," the statement continued.

A second female chick, Kiwi, hatched Feb. 6. She is part of a penguin family with several siblings.

A name and sex have yet to be determined for the last chick, who arrived Feb. 12.

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Adventure Aquarium plans to hold a naming contest for the newest chick, so be sure to keep an eye on their socials.

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A little blue penguin chick typically gains around 10 percent of their body weight each day during the first week after hatching, according to Adventure Aquarium.

The birds, which are native to Australia and New Zealand, reach adult size in just two months

Adults are typically 13 to 15 inches tall and weigh from two to three pounds, said Aquarium spokesperson Shannon Rostick.

Bananas Foster will be the first hatchling to join the public exhibit around mid-March.. The other chicks will join after reaching necessary milestones.

The hatchlings will remain behind the scenes until they're about two months old. Then, they'll acclimate to their colony by making trips to the "howdy pen" on Little Blue Beach.

Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times. If you have a story she should tell, email her at kmccormick@gannett.com. And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Penguin chick survives parenting problem at Adventure Aquarium