Five Magellanic penguin chicks have hatched at Kobe Suma Sea World (Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture; Director: Yoshiaki Nakano), a facility operated by Gran Vista Hotel & Resort, between April and May 2026.
The chicks are growing steadily under the watchful care of their parent birds. Approximately one month has now passed since hatching, and the chicks have begun to emerge from their nests, making it possible for visitors to see them.
Around three months after hatching, the chicks will grow to the same size as the adults and start eating fish directly from their keepers. The fluffy down feathers unique to chicks — known as natal down — will also fall out at this stage, and they will become capable of swimming. For the first year of their lives, the chicks can easily be distinguished from adults because they lack the two black stripes across the chest that are characteristic of Magellanic penguins.
While viewing may be restricted depending on the health condition of the chicks, visitors are welcome to gently watch over their growth alongside the aquarium's staff.
Magellanic Penguin Chicks on Display
The chicks are on display in the Rocky Life area on the 4th floor of Aqua Live. The chicks grow by eating food regurgitated by their parents, and visitors may sometimes hear their calls as they beg for food. After spending time inside their nests, they are gradually beginning to venture outside and walk around, appearing more frequently before guests.
*Note: Viewing may not be available depending on the animals' condition.
About the Magellanic Penguin
- Japanese name: マゼランペンギン
- English name: Magellanic penguin
- Scientific name: Spheniscus magellanicus
The Magellanic penguin is a species approximately 70 cm in length that inhabits the coasts of Chile and Argentina in South America, as well as the Falkland Islands. Its plumage is black and white, with two distinctive black stripes across the chest. In Japan, the breeding season falls in spring — around February, the birds begin collecting pebbles and twigs to build nests, and typically lay two eggs in March or April.
Magellanic penguins are monogamous, and both partners in a pair cooperate to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks. The eggs hatch after approximately 40 days. Chicks are covered in natal down that gradually falls out over several weeks, and for the first year they lack the two black chest stripes characteristic of adults, making them easy to identify at a glance.
