Aquarium welcomes 7 baby African Penguins, a critically endangered species
It's the summer of the penguin.
A baby boom is sweeping the country, and the African penguins at Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach are getting in on the action.
The aquarium announced this week that over the summer, it welcomed five new African penguin chicks, bringing the total for the year to a lucky seven.
"We thought we were lucky with our first two chicks, but welcoming five more has made this an unforgettable year," Courtnie Barnett, general manager at Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach, said in a statement Wednesday.
African penguins are found on the rocky shoreline of Namibia and South Africa and are the only nesting penguins on the continent. They are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The organization, which maintains a "Red List" of species at risk of extinction, has tracked a nearly 80% decline in the African penguin's wild population in just three generations. IUCN states that there are fewer than 20,000 of the animals remaining, largely due to food shortages tied to commercial fishing, ecological damage, climate change and historic habitat destruction.
"African penguins are a Critically Endangered species, making each successful hatch especially meaningful," the aquarium said in a press release.
For the first time, the aquarium is sharing with ABC News the names of two of the newest chicks, Chip and Boyd. They join Vic and Chelle, who hatched in May. The aquarium says the new chicks are being closely monitored by the facility's animal care team. The names of other baby penguins will be revealed at a later date.
The baby penguins are all named after "people who are important to Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach and our community," according to the aquarium.
"All seven chicks are doing great and have met their developmental milestones with flying colors," the aquarium said, adding that the oldest of the group have completed their swim lessons and are now part of the colony at the aquarium's Penguin Playhouse.
As for their personalities, the aquarium says Vic is a cuddler; Chelle enjoys exploring and has a keen interest in jewelry; Chip and Boyd are "high energy, boisterous brothers" who like to entertain; chicks five and six are "charmers"; and the youngest of the bunch is "the sweetheart" who loves being the center of attention.
Despite living in warm-weather climates, African penguins have dense, waterproof black, white and gray feathers to protect them from the cold water. They have a distinctive patch of bare skin above their eyes, which helps them manage the African heat.
According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the animals are among the smallest of the different types of penguins and feature "dot-like markings" on their chests that are "as individual as a person's fingerprints."
