SAN DIEGO — A little penguin celebrated a big milestone at SeaWorld San Diego.
A macaroni penguin, affectionately called Best Friend, celebrated his 40th birthday on Nov. 20. His caretakers celebrated by making him a fish cake.
Katie Belnick is a zoological specialist of birds and said the old charmer was born in 1984. While he might have failing eyesight, Best Friend still has great hearing and can identify his keepers by their voices.
“Best Friend here sometimes can play hard to get. Like he’s a lover, but then he makes you work for it,” Belnick said.
With this historic birthday, Best Friend is one of the oldest macaroni penguins in North America. In the wild, they typically have a lifespan of 8 to 15 years. Belnick said Best Friend's longevity is a testament to the care he’s received his entire life.
“We are here every single day, 24/7, 365, trying to give these animals the absolute best lives possible,” she said.
Zoological supervisor Melissa Ramsey said the macaroni penguins bring an iconic pop of color.
"They’re pretty distinct, especially given these yellow crest feathers,” she said.
Ramsey said wild penguins face many threats in the wild, like predators, pollution and melting sea ice due to climate change, causing loss of habitat.
The International Union for Conservation of Naturemacaroni classified the macaroni penguins as vulnerable. Although they are one of the most numerous of the world's penguin species, widespread population declines since the 1970s has led to their status change.
Ramsey believes Best Friend's birthday highlights the broader success of penguin conservation and the critical role accredited zoological organizations play in protecting and preserving vulnerable species.
“Reaching that 40-year milestone is a huge testament to the level of care that these animals receive; not only here at SeaWorld, but across AZA zoos and aquariums all over," Ramsey said. "We’re just so happy to celebrate this milestone.”
Another '80s baby also celebrated her 40th birthday across the country at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Mickey the macaroni penguin was hatched at Sea World San Diego in 1984 before moving to Pittsburg in 2003.
The team at SeaWorld believes that Best Friend makes the best ambassador for his species.
“Any day that I get to come in and hang out with him is truly the best day ever because he is here in the same spot every morning and it’s like, that’s my right-hand man! Everybody needs a little slice of Best Friend,” Belnick said.
Penguin encounters are available to book at SeaWorld San Diego.