Sphen and Magic’s love story made headlines - now staff at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium are mourning the loss of one half of the beloved same-sex Gentoo penguin couple . Sea Life Sydney revealed today Sphen died earlier this month, shortly before his 12th birthday. Male penguins Sphen and Magic first bonded in the Sydney aquarium back in 2018, swimming and waddling together and even creating a nest during breeding season, going on to adopt and hatch two chicks - Lara, nicknamed “Sphengic”, by fans, and Clancy.
In the six years that followed, the couple were featured in Netflix series Atypical , documentaries about same-sex animal couples, and even inspired the design of a float for Mardi Gras..
