An immense baby penguin at the Melbourne Aquarium is attracting new visitors and global attention after going viral on social media.
Pesto, a nine-month-old, 21-kilogram king penguin, has carved out a cult following online, clocking up millions of views on social media.
Pesto, only nine months old, eats 25 fish a day and weighs more than his parents combined.
Amanda Robar and Shaina Pyke bought tickets just to see the big bird after Pyke saw content of him on TikTok.
“I’ve seen heaps of videos, and there’s like 100,000 likes on them,” said Pyke. “It’s very viral.”
So what has made this fluffy, round waddler so famous?
He’s just so large. Eating 25 fish (sand whiting, salmon and rainbow trout) a day, Pesto weighs more than both his parents combined and is the largest chick the aquarium has ever had.
Amanda Robar (left) and Shaina Pyke went to the aquarium specifically to see Pesto. Credit: Wayne Taylor
“The sheer size of this baby penguin blew me away, like it exceeded my expectations,” said Robar.
“The enclosure that it’s in isn’t anything crazy, but the penguin is just so amazing standalone.
“[Seeing Pesto was the] highlight of the day. He’s endearing, he’s gorgeous.”
Sea Life Melbourne is aware there’s public appetite for their insatiable star penguin, who’s been driving up ticket sales.
Pesto fans gather for photos at the aquarium. Credit: Wayne Taylor
“Guests are arriving at admissions and double-checking Pesto is definitely on site,” said Sea Life spokeswoman Olivia Wilson.
“We have had messages on social media from people who are booking flights to Melbourne and want to know that Pesto will be here.
“People seem to relate to this chunky guy.”
The aquarium gift shop is also selling more penguin chick soft-toys than before, and last week, at the height of Pesto fever, the aquarium’s web traffic had its biggest spike of the year. This included huge increases in traffic from the US and UK, as Pesto’s fame goes global.
Larita Bouphasavann and Tim Hon’s trip to the aquarium centred on catching a glimpse of Pesto, who’ll eventually shed his baby weight and thick brown plumage as he matures.
“There was a lot of people, but it was just fascinating to see how big he was,” said Bouphasavann, who first encountered the flightless bird on TikTok.
“You don’t see a penguin that big quite often, so why wouldn’t we come down here and have a look at him?”
Larita Bouphasavann and Tim Hon’s trip to the aquarium came after seeing Pesto on social media app TikTok. Credit: Wayne Taylor
King penguins are the second-largest penguin species and have seen an increase in their population in the wild meaning they’re considered of “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Chunky baby zoo animals appear to be having their moment in the sun, with two-month-old pygmy hippo Moo Deng winning hearts across Asia and the internet since its birth was announced by a Thai zoo in July.
Moo Deng – which translates roughly to “bouncy pig” or “pork patty” – has become so popular that director of Khao Kheow Open Zoo near Chon Buri has had to warn fans to be gentle after online videos showed visitors harassing the baby hippo.
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