'Rare and precious': Watch endangered emperor penguin hatch at SeaWorld San Diego

Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
·4 min read

A new empress is born! Of penguins, that is.

For the first time in nearly 13 years, an emperor penguin chick hatched at SeaWorld in San Diego on Sept. 12, making it an "exciting AND adorable" occasion for the threatened species, according to an Instagram post that announced the hatching on Instagram on Wednesday.

"As the only zoo in the Western Hemisphere where emperor penguins can be found, we are excited to share and celebrate this rare and precious emperor penguin chick!​" the post said.

Here's what you need to know about the adorable hatchling and how you can help name her:

Meet SeaWorld San Diego's newborn emperor penguin chick, who hatched on Sept. 12, 2023, and will be named with the help of the public.
Meet SeaWorld San Diego's newborn emperor penguin chick, who hatched on Sept. 12, 2023, and will be named with the help of the public.

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SeaWorld San Diego had to help the chick hatch

A video shared by SeaWorld shows the chick starting to break out of her egg. But she began to have trouble because of a beak malformation.

"Normally the chick would start to break through the shell on its own," Justin Brackett, curator of birds at SeaWorld, said in the Instagram post. "For our chick, it broke through the initial membrane, but was never able to get through the shell."

Brackett and his team monitored the hatching process for several days but decided to intervene when there was no progress.

"We decided we needed to go in and start helping," he said. "That entire process takes almost three days. At the end of that three-day period, we were able to successfully hatch the chick."

Penguin chicks normally break through the shell on their own, says Justin Brackett, Curator of Birds at SeaWorld San Diego. However, while this chick broke through the initial membrane, it was never able to get through the shell and needed help.
Penguin chicks normally break through the shell on their own, says Justin Brackett, Curator of Birds at SeaWorld San Diego. However, while this chick broke through the initial membrane, it was never able to get through the shell and needed help.

The video shared by SeaWorld shows caregivers slowly chipping away at the eggshell until the chick emerges and makes some hearty squeaks.

Brackett said that emperor penguin eggs take between 65 and 72 days to hatch. The chick's parents chose not to incubate the egg, so a specialist team at SeaWorld kept it warm until she made her debut.

Video shows vets slowly chipping at the eggshell to remove it.

How is SeaWorld's new chick doing?

SeaWorld San Diego said that the newborn is doing well and enjoying a steady diet of fish and "fish milkshakes" and growing at a healty rate.
SeaWorld San Diego said that the newborn is doing well and enjoying a steady diet of fish and "fish milkshakes" and growing at a healty rate.

SeaWorld said that the newborn is doing well, enjoying a steady diet of "fish milkshakes" and gaining 5 to 10% of her body weight every day.

“Bringing this chick into the world and ensuring her well-being and survival around the clock has been a very rewarding process,” Brackett said in a news release.

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Does SeaWorld's new chick have a name?

Not yet, but the public can help name her.

SeaWorld is asking the public to choose the penguin's name from Pearl, Pandora and Astrid.

Suggestions for the naming contest can be sent through an online poll, which is open till 11:59 p.m. PST on Tuesday. The winning name will be announced on Wednesday.

We have an announcement that's both exciting AND adorable! For the first time since 2010, an emperor penguin chick has hatched here at SeaWorld San Diego! Emperor penguins are currently listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act due to the loss of Antarctic sea ice and rising sea levels caused by climate change, and as the only zoo in the Western Hemisphere where emperor penguins can be found, we are excited to share and celebrate this rare and precious emperor penguin chick!​Hatched on September 12, she enjoys a steady diet of fish and "fish milkshakes", gaining at a healthy rate of 5%-10% of her body weight per day! Her little chirps have already stolen the hearts of our aviculture team and we can't wait for our guests to enjoy her as well!​Want to help us name this little one? 🐧 You have through 10/31 to cast your vote for her name at https://bit.ly/3Mg3YT9

Posted by SeaWorld San Diego on Wednesday, October 25, 2023

SeaWorld in San Diego, California welcomed an emperor penguin on Sept. 12, 2023, the first species hatching at the facility in almost 13 years. She'll be named Pearl, Pandora or Astrid following a public poll that lasts until Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023.
SeaWorld in San Diego, California welcomed an emperor penguin on Sept. 12, 2023, the first species hatching at the facility in almost 13 years. She'll be named Pearl, Pandora or Astrid following a public poll that lasts until Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023.

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Why are emperor penguins threatened?

To celebrate the significant birth, SeaWorld is asking the public to choose the penguin's name from Pearl, Pandora and Astrid.
To celebrate the significant birth, SeaWorld is asking the public to choose the penguin's name from Pearl, Pandora and Astrid.

Emperor penguins are listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act because of the loss of Antarctic Sea ice and rising sea levels caused by climate change.

The flightless seabird, native to Antarctica, was given protection under the Act in October 2022 because of the threat to its sea-ice habitat, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Emperor penguins are dependent on sea ice for breeding and raising chicks.

Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species, with adults weighing up to 88 pounds and growing as tall as 45 inches, according to the wildlife agency.

They are brilliant swimmers and can climb steep cliffs, and travel up ice shelves to breed if the sea ice below fails. Emperors mostly feed on Antarctic silverfish, as well as other species of fish, krill and some squid.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch: Emperor penguin hatches at SeaWorld for 1st time in 13 years