Why one baby king penguin is Sea Life's new social media star
A baby king penguin at Sea Life Melbourne has become the aquarium's newest celebrity for one massive reason: his size.
Pesto the king penguin is just nine months old and 22.5 kilogram, which is already bigger than his parents.
Photos of Pesto, who is just 90 centimetres tall, towering over his parents have gone viral online, with thousands of people shocked at the animal's whopping size.
When Pesto was born, he broke the record of being the biggest chick ever born at Sea Life.
"I think he's always going to be a big boy," says Sea Life penguin keeper Michaela Smale. She said that once he fledges, "he will shrink and slim down a little but he's already significantly taller than his dad."
Despite being less than a year old, adulthood is already on the horizon as Pesto has started losing some of his baby feathers, with swimming lessons from his dad likely to be starting soon.
"Sometimes they become quite independent teenagers, so maybe he's ready for his bad boy phase," says Smale.
"I hope he retains some of his quirky personality and hopefully we can follow his adventures as he becomes part of the colony."
Image credits: Instagram