Birch Aquarium

Get Your Thinking Caps: Birch Aquarium's New Blue-Feathered Friend Needs a Name

The tiniest penguin species is coming to La Jolla and you have a chance to name one

NBC Universal, Inc.

World Penguin Day was on April 25, but a La Jolla aquarium is inviting you to keep on celebrating. 

Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has 15 new feathered friends coming to the aquarium this summer. These are little blue penguins, also known as fairy penguins because of their size. These little creatures are the smallest species of penguin known to man. 

From now until May 8, Birch Aquarium is letting the public decide on one special penguin's name. This blue-feathered flightless bird is one of the new penguins moving into Birch Aquarium's new Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins habitat, starting this summer. 

This unnamed fairy penguin will be coming to San Diego with the other slippery swimmers Magic, Nero, Persimmon and Cornelius. 

If you’re looking for a spark of creativity for this little guy’s epithet, Kayla Strate, Birch Aquarium's lead penguin aquarist, describes him in a press release as “mellow with a friendly disposition,” and said “he’s a strong, competitive male.” 

Participants can submit any name they think would be fitting for this fish-loving seabird. The aquarium will choose four submissions and will hold voting from May 16 to 29. The official name will be released on June 2.

So, if you’re feeling creative and want to take a shot at naming this tiny blue penguin, you can submit your name idea here.

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