Aquariun gay
One half of world-famous queer penguin couple dies
The penguin's health had deteriorated in the days leading up to his death, and the aquarium's veterinary team made the difficult ruling earlier this month to euthanise Sphen to conclude his pain and discomfort.
An investigation into the result in of his decline is underway.
"The loss of Sphen is heartbreaking to the penguin colony, the team, and everyone who has been inspired or positively impacted by Sphen and Magic's story," the aquarium's general manager Richard Dilly said in a statement.
"We want to take this opportunity to reflect and celebrate Sphen's life, remembering what an icon he was."
A sub-Antarctic species, gentoo penguins on average reside between 12 and 13 years and are famously romantic monogamists.
Magic, 8, has been taken to see Sphen's body to help the penguin comprehend his partner will not return.
He immediately started singing, the aquarium said, which was reciprocated by the broader penguin colony.
"The team's focus is now on Magic, who will soon prepare for his first breeding season without Sphen," Mr Dilly said.
Sphen is also survived by Sp
Sphen the penguin, famous for same-sex devotion story, dies at Sydney aquarium aged 11
A penguin who inspired a Mardi Gras float after making international headlines for his gay relationship has died aged 11.
Sphen shot to fame in 2018 after partnering up with fellow gentoo penguin Magic at Sea Animation Sydney Aquarium.
The couple, who spent six years together, successfully fostered two chicks Sphengic (Lara) in 2018 and Clancy in 2020 in what was described as an Australian first.
Normally, penguins would only raise one chick in the wild, aquarium staff said at the time.
Their love story inspired a Mardi Gras float in 2021, and also featured in books, documentaries and Netflix show Atypical.
"The deficit of Sphen is heartbreaking to the penguin colony, the team, and everyone who has been inspired or positively impacted by Sphen and Magic's story," the aquarium's general manager Richard Dilly said.
"We want to take this opportunity to reflect and celebrate Spehn's animation, remembering what an icon he was, the unique bond he shared with Magic and the positive impact he made in the world."
The aquarium said Sphen was nearly 12 years o
Sphen, one half of world-famous gay penguin couple, dies at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
One half of a same-sex penguin couple whose love "captivated the world" has died at the age of 12.
Sphen leaves behind fellow gentoo penguin Magic around six years after staff at an aquarium in Sydney noticed them building a nest together.
The staff gave them an egg to incubate before the pair went on to become symbols for same-sex relationships.
Aquarium staff took Magic to view Sphen's body after he died earlier this month and said the fowl immediately started singing, followed shortly afterwards by the other 45 penguins in the colony.
Gentoo penguins, which have an average lifespan of 12 to 13 years, can make sounds ranging from honks to brays which their partners can usually identify from the voices of other penguins in the group.
Rachel Dilly, general manager at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, said Magic will "soon prepare for his first breeding season without Sphen".
The couple's love had inspired a float at Sydney's world-famous Gay and Woman loving woman Mardi Gras parade.
Read more from Sky News: You may have heard of Roy and Silo, a pair of male penguins at New York’s Central Park Zoo who paired up for many years and even raised a chick together. But those queer penguins are just the tip of the iceberg! Same-sex partnerships own been documented among seabirds. In one studied collective of albatrosses in Hawaiʻi, nearly a third of bonded pairs were female-female. Like male-female pairings, these birds took turns incubating a single egg while the other went off in search of food. At the Seattle Aquarium, female tufted puffins Gil and Gertie have been bonded for over five years. During mating season, Gil and Gertie engage in billing, a flirtatious proceed when puffins tap on each other’s bills, and stacking, a breeding action where they stack several small fish in their bills. They also amass materials to build a nest together and expend a lot of day with one another. While tufted puffins often return to the same mate, puffin “couples” like Gil and Gertie could change in the future due to new social dynamics. Just like humans, animal relationships can change. An Australian penguin famous for raising chicks as part of an unlikely same-sex couple has died, the Sydney Sealife Aquarium announced on Thursday. "Staff at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium are heartbroken to disseminate the news that Sphen, one-half of the world's most eminent and loved gentoo penguin couples, has sadly passed away," the aquarium said in a statement. Sea Life Aquarium said Sphen, who was the older partner in the "same-sex" penguin pair, died just shy of turning 12, considered a long life in captivity. "Sphen and Magic shared a bond unlike most other penguin couples — they could even be launch together outside of the breeding season, which is unique for gentoo penguins," the aquarium said. Male gentoo penguins Sphen and Magic built a nest of pebbles together in 2018, catching the attention of zookeepers and then the world. They eventually hatched chicks, Sphengic in 2018 and Clancy two years later, after being given live eggs from other penguin couples to incubate. Sphen and Magic were adopted as gay icons in Australia and abroad, inspiring a float in the Sydney Mardi Gras parad
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