:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(898x190:900x192)/sydney-same-sex-penguin-couple-death-082224-d6c65e4688604b16b57eef46cc75f621.jpg "Sphen, one half of a same-sex penguin power couple, dies at age 12")
SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium mourns the death of one of its most famous residents.
On August 22, the Australian Aquarium announced the death of Gentoo penguin Sphen. The 12-year-old bird is known to many as one half of SEA LIFE’s same-sex “penguin power couple.”
According to SEA LIFE, Sphen and his partner Magic rose to fame in 2018 when news of the birds’ courtship made international headlines. The penguin couple spent six years together before Sphen’s death, during which time they adopted and raised two chicks.
The couple’s successful relationship helped the aquarium spread messages about equality, environmentalism, plastic pollution and more. Sphen and Magic also inspired a carnival float, appeared together in documentaries and books and became part of the school curriculum in the Australian state of New South Wales.
Sea Life Sydney Aquarium
“Sphen and Magic had a bond that was different from most other penguin pairs. They could even be found together outside of the breeding season, which is unique for gentoo penguins,” SEA LIFE said in its press release on Sphen’s death.
The aquarium also posted about Sphen on Facebook, sharing a video “celebrating the life of Sphen,” which includes clips of the penguin spending time with Magic and the pair’s chicks.
SEA LIFE also addressed how Magic is coping with the loss of his partner by responding to a commenter on the Facebook post who asked, “What about Magic? How is he coping with the loss??”
In response, the aquarium said keepers had given Magic time to examine Sphen’s body so the surviving penguin could “say goodbye.”
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“We believe we have given him the best opportunity to move on. It is just the beginning of breeding season and we are seeing all the behaviors we would expect from Magic, namely nest building, feeding and participating in training,” SEA LIFE added in its Facebook comment.
The aquarium concluded its social media post with a sweet tribute to Sphen.
“Sphen’s legacy will live on through the love he shared with Magic and the important conservation messages they helped us spread,” SEA LIFE wrote.
