Sphen, one half of the world-famous gay penguin couple, dies at the age of 11

Sphen, an Australian gentoo penguin who unexpectedly became a global symbol of equality, has died at the age of eleven.

Sphen, who lived at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, rose to global fame in 2018 when he bonded with male gentoo penguin Magic after the two were observed waddling and swimming together before the breeding season.

Same-sex penguin power couple Sphengic inspired millions with their unwavering bond and heartwarming family. Together they raised two chicks: Lara, six, and Clancy, four.

To help eight-year-old Magic cope with the tragic loss, aquarium staff brought him to Sphen “so he could understand why his partner would not return,” the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium said in a statement on Thursday.

“He immediately began to sing, which was wonderfully responded to by the colony.”

Richard Dilly, the aquarium's chief executive, said: “The loss of Sphen is heartbreaking for the penguin colony, the team and everyone who has been inspired or positively influenced by the story of Sphen and Magic.”

“We would like to take this opportunity to reflect and celebrate Sphen's life and remember what an icon he was,” he added.

Sphen, who presumably died of natural causes, had a full life for a gentoo penguin, a species with an average life expectancy of about 12 to 13 years.

He and Magic shared an unbreakable bond – the two were often seen together outside of the breeding season, a rarity for their species.

“The team’s focus now is on Magic, who will soon be preparing for his first breeding season without Sphene,” said Dilly.

Same-sex pairings have been observed in penguins, giraffes, anteaters and monkeys, to name a few, according to Chris Choi, consumer editor of ITV News.

Sphen and Magic appear in the Netflix series “Atypical” and have been included in the school curriculum in their home state of New South Wales, Australia. Their love story has also been the subject of numerous books and films.

In 2018, the two became parents after being entrusted with the task of hatching a “spare egg” given to them by another pair of penguins that had laid two eggs.

Gentoo penguins typically lay two eggs per breeding season, but subantarctic penguins usually only have the opportunity to incubate and raise a single egg, so the “replacement chick” may not survive.

Not in this case. On October 19, 2018, a 91-gram penguin chick named Lara was born to the loving parents. In 2020, the Sphengic family became four after Clancy joined the family.

Sphen and Magic are not the only same-sex penguin couple that has managed to hatch an egg. Couples in New York and Spain have also become parents.

The couple's fame has enabled the aquarium to raise awareness and money for important causes, including conservation, plastic pollution, climate change and the need to protect wild penguins, Sea Life said.

The aquarium's website was flooded with tributes from fans.

“Rest in peace, I hope, little one. What a miracle you were to the world with your beautiful Magic,” wrote one visitor.

“Rest in peace, champion,” said another, “love knows no boundaries.”

Follow STV News on WhatsApp

Scan the QR code on your mobile device to get all the latest news from across the country