Gay Aussie penguins Sphen and Magic are still making "Sphengic" at Sea Life Aquarium in Sydney!
A spokesman for the aquarium revealed the famed same-sex Gentoo penguin couple will celebrate the third anniversary of their partnered relationship with a special frozen fish cake.
"They are still going strong this year, celebrating their third anniversary," Kiera Ponting, Sea Life's penguin keeper, was quoted in Newsverve. "They have moved house and are in a brand new nest location and are still one of our strongest couples in the exhibit."
Even on their third anniversary, the flames of love and commitment still burn strong for our cute tuxedoed friends. Spen and Magic regularly get "stoned" together.
"Magic still regularly collects the most perfect pebble that he can find for Sphen, displaying what a great hunter and partner he can be," Ponting said.
Penguins can only hatch one egg at a time, so extra eggs are routinely given to empty-nested couples. Sphen and Magic have already hatched two eggs together. The devoted pair, collectively known by their couple name "Sphengic" in the gay penguin fandom universe, became parents to little Lara in 2018 after the aquarium gave them an egg to foster. The two gay lovebirds were attentive parents, always having the largest and cleanest nest among the colony. Sphengic replicated their parental success in 2020 when they hatched young Clancy. No word yet on whether Sphen and Magic will soon have any grandchildren, but Lara tried unsuccessfully last year to hatch an egg with her opposite-sex partner.
Same-sex relationships like Sphengic are not uncommon among penguins, including Gentoo penguins. Last year, lesbian penguins Electra and Viola incubated and hatched a penguin chick at the Oceanographic Aquarium in Valencia, Spain. A pair of same-sex penguins were notably split up in 2011 in Toronto to mate with female penguins as their species is endangered. Before them, in 2009 there were proud fathers Z and Vielpunkt in Humboldt who, like Electra and Viola, successfully hatched an egg together.
While Sphen and Magic won't be hatching any new baby penguins this season (they were given a fake egg to foster), Ponting said the pair are still showing their peers how to do a relationship right.
"They are a great example for the rest of the colony, inseparable and proving just how strong bonds can be," Ponting gushed.
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