When Magic processed the loss of Sphen, he sang for his beloved, and the other penguins of the colony resonated with him at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium.
Two male gentoo penguins, Sphen and Magic, flipped the boundaries of attraction and engaged in a same-sex relationship back in 2018. They went viral and are still heralded as an inspiration to rainbow families, even going on to having a float inspired by them in the Sydney Mardi Gras parade. Now, almost over six years into this relationship, the bond broke as Sphen, nearly 12, died of natural causes.
How it all started?
The aquarium staff detected the attraction Sphen and Magic shared back in 2018. They swam together in the penguin enclosure and went on to make a nest out of pebbles during the breeding season. The staff went a step ahead and gave the pair a dummy egg to incubate. After this trial, they were given a real egg to incubate. They were even staying together outside of the breeding season.
This power couple raised two chicks: Sphengic (Lara) in 2018 and Clancy in 2020. The story of the pair of penguins spread worldwide and is even a part of the resources offered for teachers to use during any excursion to the aquarium. An epitome of how love knows no boundaries, the pair stood out amongst many other same-sex penguin pairs for their long commitment to one another.
As per Richard Dilly, the aquarium’s general manager, the loss of Sphen is heartbreaking to the penguin community, their team, and all the people inspired by these penguins.
Is it common for penguins to be in a same-sex relationship?
Penguins in same-sex relations have been documented as early as 1911. Penguins at the zoos of Berlin and Toronto demonstrated similar behavior. Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins at Central Park Zoo in New York City, successfully hatched and fostered a newborn female chick from an egg they were given to incubate. In fact, their story is etched in the book And Tango Makes Three. A pair of male penguins did the same at Bournemouth’s Oceanarium.
Research shows that around 30% of penguins engage in courtship behaviors in same-sex contexts. Some scientists suggested that penguins have difficulty differentiating between male and female individuals. Another theory suggests that male penguins secrete greater amounts of testosterone, especially males who return to the colony from the sea.
However, homosexual displays also arise because of the disproportionate ratio between male and female penguins in a colony. For every 100 female penguins, there are 165 male penguins in a colony. Penguins in captivity are more prone to same-sex behaviors than penguins in the wild.
Research also indicates homosexual behaviors in other species as well, most notably in birds like mallards, flying foxes, and even macaques and bonobos.
How do same-sex penguin couples raise chicks?
According to penguin expert deNapoli, penguins do not need to be biased towards any specific gender while catering to chicks. The only requirement is that there must be two penguins parenting a chick. While one protects, the other forages for food. They take shifts and switch places now and then. This is practically possible as penguin chicks, unlike mammals, do not need to suckle their young ones.
To conclude, Magic will be spending his first breeding season without Sphen. All we can do is wish her the best for the future.
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