After announcing the arrival of two African penguin chicks in December, the Aquarium has confirmed a third chick has officially joined the group, marking another milestone for the critically endangered species. The newest arrival is a male African penguin chick, and visitors will soon have a chance to help decide what he’ll be called.
Starting January 5, guests at Adventure Aquarium can take part in an in-person naming contest, choosing from four options: Scrappy, Zero, Flounder, or Toothless. The names were selected by the Aquarium’s Birds & Mammals team, and voting will take place exclusively on-site through donation boxes. Proceeds from the contest will benefit AZA SAFE African Penguins and SANCCOB, two organizations focused on protecting African penguins in the wild.
The voting period runs through January 19, with the winning name set to be announced on January 20, which also happens to be Penguin Awareness Day.
“We are very excited for Mushu and Hubert to raise their second-ever chick,” Maddie Olszewski-Pohle, Biologist II, African Penguin Primary said in a new release. “Both parents did an exceptional job feeding and caring for this chick, who is the biggest of the season. Our naming contest will benefit AZA SAFE African Penguins and SANCCOB, with proceeds supporting vital conservation efforts. As an ambassador for his species, this chick is helping raise awareness and funds to protect African penguins in South Africa.”
The chick hatched on November 21 and is the 53rd penguin chick born at Adventure Aquarium. He is the second chick raised by parents Mushu and Hubert, who also welcomed one of the December chicks, Shubert. This year’s chick names follow a playful “dragons and sidekicks” theme, a nod to Mushu’s own name.
While guests won’t see the newest chick just yet, that’s by design. Like the other recent hatchlings, he’ll remain behind the scenes until his feathers become waterproof and conditions are right for him to venture out. Aquarium officials say visitors can keep up with updates and milestones by following Adventure Aquarium on social media.
The birth comes at a critical time for African penguins. The species was reclassified as critically endangered in October 2024, with experts warning that without continued conservation efforts, African penguins could face functional extinction by 2035. Adventure Aquarium participates in the AZA Species Survival Plan, which focuses on maintaining healthy, genetically diverse populations in human care.
For now, the focus is on celebrating a healthy hatch — and giving the public a chance to play a small role in supporting conservation efforts, one penguin name at a time.