Magellanic penguins are not endangered, but their numbers have decreased<\/a> significantly<\/a> in recent years due to climate change and overfishing.<\/p>\n Ashley Loper, an aviculturist at the Aquarium of the Pacific, helped raise Ari, a Magellanic penguin chick. Here, she feeds him at the aquarium on Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very important that we have this backup population in case things were to get worse out in the wild,\u201d aquarium CEO and President Jeffrey Flocken said.<\/p>\n Magellanic penguins are medium-sized birds with distinctive black-and-white bands that wrap around their heads and chests. They\u2019re native to the arid coastlines of Argentina and Chile. Colonies usually settle around beaches to build nests for their chicks.<\/p>\n Like Magellanic penguins in the wild, Ari spent his earliest weeks under the watchful care of his parents. Once he was large enough, Ari was moved to a behind-the-scenes nursery, where aquarium staff monitored his development and introduced him to swimming.<\/p>\n Now, he\u2019s out on display with fellow members of the Magellanic penguin colony.<\/p>\n People watch the penguins at the Aquarium of the Pacific on Thursday. Magellanic penguins build nests on beaches, and this area of the aquarium is intended to simulate that environment.<\/p>\n On Thursday, Ari partook in his first feeding with the entire colony. Megan Smylie, the sea otter program manager, said Ari is integrating nicely into the group, and he is expected to reach adult size soon.<\/p>\n In the aquarium\u2019s opening minutes, the energetic penguin kept darting back and forth in front of the display, impressing visitors. Still developing his swimming muscles, Ari occasionally lagged behind when the older penguins glided through the water together, and he kept paddling determinedly to catch up.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s actually amazing to see,\u201d said Kris Laidlaw, a visitor who stopped by the aquarium on her way to LAX on Thursday morning. \u201cYou don\u2019t see this very often anywhere, and it\u2019s a lot cheaper than going to the wild to see them.\u201d<\/p>\n Ari takes a swim on Thursday, his first day in the public eye at the Aquarium of the Pacific.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1785539613_156_.jpeg\")
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