Sphen and Magic

Sphen was born at SeaWorld, whereas Magic was born at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium three years later. Magic and Sphen first met in the summer of 2018 at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, where they were part of a colony of 33 penguins. In November 2019 it was revealed that the couple were fostering a second chick after zoo staff saw another couple struggling to incubate two eggs simultaneously. This second chick was named Clancy. Sphen's death, at the age of 11, was announced on 22 August 2024; the cause of his deterioration will be investigated. ==Impact==

The year prior to the pair meeting, in 2017, same-sex marriage in Australia was legalized; the penguins became a larger symbol of this. The penguins inspired a float for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, featured in the Netflix comedy-drama series Atypical, and were referenced in Australia's education syllabus. Richard Dilly, the aquarium manager, noted that through the fame of the penguins the aquarium had been able to share messages concerning conservation, plastic pollution, global warming and the protection of wild penguins through fundraising initiatives. ==See also==