Australian penguin Sphen, one half of famed same-sex couple, dies at 11 years old

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Sphen, the elder partner in a world famous same-sex penguin couple celebrated in Australian schoolbooks and an annual gay rights parade, has died at 11 years old, a Sydney aquarium said on Thursday.

Sphen and his male gentoo penguin partner Magic, now aged 8, came to international attention in 2018 when they built a pebble nest together in the hope of raising chicks at their home in the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium.

International interest grew as they adopted and successfully raised two chicks in 2018 and 2020. Their union was celebrated by a float in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, included in the Sydney-based New South Wales state education curriculum and discussed in the Netflix series “Atypical.” Their relationship has also been recorded in books and film documentaries.

Penguin mates share their parenting duties and same-sex couples in captivity have occasionally adopted eggs before.

The aquarium said in a statement Sphen died this month. It did not say when the penguin had died or reveal a cause of death. The species' average life span is 12 to 13 years, the aquarium said.

Aquarium general manager Richard Dilly described Sphen as an “icon” that had made a positive impact on the world through his unique relationship with Magic.

“Sphen and Magic’s love story captivated the world and it’s been an honor to welcome local and international fans, some of which traveled long distances to see them in real life,” Dilly said.

“Sphen and Magic shared a bond unlike most other penguin couples – they could even be found together outside of the breeding season, which is unique for gentoo penguins,” Dilly added.

Animal carers took Magic to see his partner’s body to help it understand that they will not be together the next breeding season.

“The moment we showed him (Magic) to Sphen, he started singing, and then the other penguins also joined in, singing with him. So it was very touching,” aquarium supervisor Renee Howell said.

“I don’t think there was a dry eye in the penguin exhibit in that moment,” Howell added.