A Little Blue Penguin Named “Saquon” Hatched on Super Bowl Sunday at Adventure Aquarium

On the morning of Sunday, February 9, as the Philadelphia Eagles geared up for their Super Bowl LIX victory, Adventure Aquarium celebrated its own victory with the hatching of a healthy male little blue penguin chick, introducing a new member to its growing colony. Adding to the excitement, the Aquarium team has named the newest addition Saquon, a nod to Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley, who shares a birthday with this adorable new arrival.

Little Saquon was hatched to parents Sheila (#8) and Spud (#3), marking the pair’s fifth chick hatched at Adventure Aquarium. At just 11 days old, Saquon will remain behind the scenes as he learns to eat fish, swim, and adjust to life at the Aquarium. Once Saquon reaches about two months old, he will join the colony on exhibit and become visible to guests.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome a new, healthy chick to our little blue penguin colony!” said Adventure Aquarium Director of Aquarium Operations, Marc Kind. “The timing of Saquon’s hatch on Super Bowl Sunday, coupled with the Eagles’ big win, made naming this little penguin after Saquon Barkley a no-brainer!”

A little blue chick like Saquon will gain about 10% of his body weight every day during the first week, and by just two months old, he’ll reach adult size. At that point, the chick’s waterproof plumage will be fully developed, allowing him to stay dry and maintain his body temperature while swimming. Native to the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, little blue penguins are the smallest penguin species, named after their plumage of slate-blue feathers.