September 17th 2024.
If you're planning a trip to Melbourne, there are a few must-see spots that you won't want to miss. Of course, there's the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and the bustling Flinders Street Station. But now, there's one more attraction that has captured the hearts of millions: Pesto, the giant king penguin chick turned social media sensation.
At only nine months old, Pesto already weighs a whopping 21kg, and his adorable photos and videos have gone viral, inspiring people from all over the world to visit the SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium just to catch a glimpse of this "big unit" in person. According to Michaela Smale, a senior keeper at the aquarium, Pesto has reached an astounding 1.9 billion people globally, making him a major drawcard for visitors to Victoria.
Pesto was born in January and seemed like a normal, healthy chick at first. But as he started to grow, his keepers were shocked at how quickly he outgrew his parents, Hudson and Tango. At six months old, Pesto was already larger than both of his parents, and now, at nine months, he weighs over 20kg, while his parents weigh a modest 10kg each. This makes Pesto the largest king penguin chick ever seen at the aquarium, and they're even looking into global penguin records to see if he's broken any.
According to Smale, Pesto's size is a combination of good parenting and his dad's genes. His record-breaking growth has been surprising for the keepers, but not alarming. And it seems like Pesto is still not done growing, as he currently eats 25 fish a day and has caused the aquarium to increase their fish budget to keep up with his huge appetite. Luckily, all the penguins are on a carefully monitored diet, so there's no risk of Pesto overeating.
But Pesto's size isn't the only thing that sets him apart. He also has a unique personality and confidence that the keepers haven't seen in any other penguin. Despite being larger than most of the adult king penguins in his enclosure, including his own parents, Pesto "holds his own" with the other birds and knows exactly what he wants.
Since making his debut in April, Pesto has become a social media darling, with millions of views and followers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. In fact, his gender reveal video, which showed that he's a boy, went viral and even led to a custom cake celebration. But the real explosion in Pesto's online popularity came in the last few weeks when members of the public started sharing their own clips of him, amassing tens of millions of views.
His fame has had a huge impact on SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, with an increase in social and web traffic, as well as footfall. As Smale puts it, Pesto has become a major reason for people to visit Melbourne, alongside the city's iconic shows, music, and coffee.
So, if you're planning a trip to Melbourne, make sure to add Pesto to your must-see list. And if you can't make it in person, just search his name on TikTok and join the millions of others who can't get enough of this adorable giant penguin chick.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
