Sydney’s Gay Penguin Power Couple Get Their Own Show (Sort Of)
Image: Baby Sphengic with Sphen and Magic
We all need a little good news, very welcomed distractions, and some extra cuteness in our lives these days. So it seems about time we check in with Sphen and Magic, Sydney’s Gay penguin elite who are true bosses of the animal kingdom.
It’s World Penguin Day on Saturday 25 April, and Sea Life Sydney Aquarium are giving us a special livestream of a truly modern family with ‘Keeping up with the Sphengic Family,’ sharing the joys and experiences of the sub-Antarctic flippered family, 18 months after the same-sex penguin couple and their fostered baby captured the hearts of the world.
Male Gentoo penguins, Sphen and Magic, first became a couple after being inseparable during the 2018 breeding season and proved they were absolute naturals when fostering an egg which hatched to make history and become Baby Sphengic – the attraction’s first sub-Antarctic penguin chick since the colony first joined the Darling Harbour family in November 2016. The family has gone on to become international celebrities, even making a special appearance in Season 2 of Netflix Original Series, Atypical.
“Whether in attraction or via social media, we’re constantly inundated with questions about the Sphengic family, so we’re very excited to take Sphengic fans from all around the world behind the scenes in our Macquarie Island-inspired exhibit!” says Tish Hannan, Penguin Department Supervisor.
The live stream is scheduled for 9 am Australian Eastern Standard Time on Facebook – allowing Australians to start their day on the right flipper, whilst still offering international fans the chance to join in.
The Sphengic family, as well as all the other King and Gentoo penguins who call Sea Life Sydney Aquarium home, act as ambassadors for their species’, helping to educate the public on the plight that they face in the wild.
