An Emperor Penguin chick born on September 30, 2025, at Adventure World (Shirahama, Wakayama) is turning six months old on March 30, 2026 (Monday). To mark the occasion, a half-birthday celebration will be held at the park.
At birth, the chick was small enough to fit in the palm of a hand and was covered in fluffy gray down. After molting, it has grown into a "subadult" — a rare in-between stage between baby and adult that can only be observed during this brief period. Pool training, which began in early February, was initially cautious — the chick was hesitant to enter the water on its own — but with daily practice, it has become more confident and now dives in willingly, spending more time in the pool each day.
Emperor Penguin Chick Half-Birthday Celebration
- Date: Monday, March 30, 2026
- Time: 10:15 AM (approximately 20 minutes)
- Location: Marine Animal Hall, 2nd Floor
- Admission: Free (separate parking and park admission fees apply)
Event Highlights
① Ice Cake Gift
The chick will receive a special ice cake as a birthday treat.
② Animal LIVE Talk Special Edition: "Penguin Robot Collaboration"
A baby Emperor Penguin robot from the Penguin Robot Museum will make a special appearance. The robot is a handmade creation by staff, combining a plush toy modeled after a 40-day-old chick with a remote-controlled mechanism. An animal edutainer (keeper) will use the robot to demonstrate and explain how chicks are fed and cared for.
③ Public Weight Measurement
④ Feeding Time
Note: The program may be changed or canceled depending on the animal's condition.
About the Emperor Penguin Chick
| Hatch Date | September 30, 2025 (Tuesday) |
| Weight | 21.0 kg (measured March 22, Day 173) |
| Birth Weight | 295.9 g |
| Sex | Female |
| Father | Arrived November 16, 1997 (age 28) |
| Mother | Arrived November 16, 1997 (age 28) |
Growth in Photos
Day 1 (October 1)
Day 16 (October 16)
Day 48 (November 17)
Day 75 (December 14)
Day 100 (January 8, 2026)
Day 122 (January 30)
Day 148 (February 25)
About the Emperor Penguin
| Classification | Sphenisciformes, Spheniscidae |
| Scientific Name | Aptenodytes forsteri |
| Habitat | Antarctica and surrounding areas |
| Lifespan | Approximately 30 years |
| Diet | Fish, squid, krill, etc. At Adventure World, they are primarily fed sand lance and Atka mackerel. |
The Emperor Penguin is the world's largest penguin, reaching approximately 120 cm in height and 40 kg in weight, with distinctive vivid yellow patches on its temples and upper chest. It is also the only penguin species whose chicks are patterned — newborns display a tricolor combination of white, black, and gray until they complete their first molt. Adults closely resemble King Penguins, but can be distinguished by their larger size (King Penguins reach only about 90 cm) and the orange color on their upper chest, compared to the yellow-orange of Emperors.
Among penguins, only the Adélie Penguin and the Emperor Penguin breed on the Antarctic continent itself. While Adélie Penguins breed in summer when rocks are exposed after the snow melts, Emperor Penguins begin breeding during the Antarctic winter, enduring temperatures as low as minus 60°C. Males incubate the egg for approximately two months without eating, making Emperor Penguins known as the birds with the world's harshest child-rearing conditions. They reach sexual maturity at around age five.
