Two Baby Penguin Chicks Hatch at Moody Gardens in Galveston

It seems only appropriate that during the Moody Gardens annual Festival of Lights, two new Chinstrap penguin chicks hatched at the Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid just in time for Christmas. The first fuzzy chick hatched on Dec. 17 and the second baby penguin arrived Dec. 22 as staff biologists have watched closely to monitor to their progress.

The first chick registered at 182 grams at the Christmas Eve weigh-in as biologists track its daily progress and report the tiny new addition to the South Atlantic Exhibit is doing very well with its parents Blue and Blanche.

The younger penguin currently weighs 114 grams and is also settling in nicely with parents Squawk and Dorothy. Both chicks hatched in their nests and are being raised by their parents on exhibit.

“These chicks will remain with their parents on exhibit for about a month,” said staff Biologist Brooke Loewenthal, who works with the penguins daily and added they will be moved to the back of the exhibit as they become more active. Because they have down feathers that are not waterproof, it is important to keep the chicks away from the deep, cold water of the exhibit. While away from public view, they will be weaned from their parents, taught to swim and then reintroduced to their tuxedo-clad peers.