46-pound baby penguin is breaking the internet Pesto is a celebrity 2024-09-26

Why Pesto, a massive penguin chick, is vying to be the internet's favorite big baby

An extra large and in charge penguin chick has taken the internet by storm, securing a level of social media stardom many of us could only dream of - and his name is Pesto.

When Pesto last stepped on the scale just two weeks ago, he weighed in at 21 kg or about 46.3 lbs, at just nine months old, making him the biggest penguin chick Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Melbourne, Australia has ever seen.

Why is Pesto so big? Well, for starters, he's able to maintain his impressive girth with a diet of 25 fish a day, according to the aquarium, along with some luck in the nature and nurture categories.

Pesto is the biological child of Sea Life's biggest and oldest penguin, Blake, giving him an edge in the genetics department. He is also being raised by Hudson and Tango, a doting pair dedicated to caring for their giant chick.

The big guy well outweighs his foster parents, who average around 11 kgs or 24 pounds, and eats about double what an adult king penguin does in a day. Pesto is also a little extra special in that his January hatching made him the only king penguin born at the aquarium this year.