CNN —
Sphene, an Australian gentoo penguin who became an unlikely symbol of global equality, has died of apparent natural causes at the age of 11, the Sydney aquarium where he was kept announced on Thursday.
Sphene shot to international fame in 2018 when she was spotted waddling and swimming together with male gentoo penguin Magic ahead of the breeding season.
The same-sex penguin power couple known as “Sphengic” have inspired millions with their unbreakable bond and heartwarming family. Together they have raised two chicks, six-year-old Lara and four-year-old Clancy.
SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium said in a statement that to help eight-year-old Magic come to terms with his tragic loss, aquarium staff took him to Sphen “so he can understand why his partner is not coming back”.
“He immediately began singing and the crowd responded beautifully.”
“Sphen's death is devastating for our penguin colony, our team and all who have been touched or positively affected by Sphen and Magic's story,” the aquarium's general manager Richard Dilley said.
“We want to take this opportunity to reflect and celebrate Sphen's life and remember what an iconic figure he was,” he added.
Sphene has lived a full life for a gentoo penguin, whose average lifespan is around 12 to 13 years.
He and Magic had an inseparable bond and were often seen together outside of breeding season, which was unusual for their species.
“The team's focus is now on Magic, who will soon be preparing for his first breeding season without Sphene,” Dilley said.
The couple inspired a Mardi Gras float featured in the Netflix series “Atypical” and are featured in the education curriculum in the Australian state of New South Wales. Their love story has also been touched by countless books and movies, according to the aquarium.
In 2018, Sphene and Magic became parents after being given a “spare” egg by another penguin couple who had laid two eggs and entrusted it to them to incubate.
Gentoo penguins typically lay two eggs per breeding season, but sub-Antarctic penguins typically do not have the resources to incubate and raise only one egg, so the “spare” chick may not survive.
That wasn't the case this time. On October 19, 2018, an adorable, 2.2 oz (91 g) penguin chick named Lara was born to loving parents. In 2020, Clancy joined the Sphenczyk family, bringing the total to four.
Sphene and Magic aren't the only same-sex penguin couple to successfully hatch an egg: a couple from New York and Spain are also parents.
Not only has Sphene helped champion equality: through the couple's fame, the aquarium has been able to raise awareness and funds for important issues such as conservation, plastic pollution, climate change and the need to protect wild penguins, Sea Life said.
Tributes from fans flooded the aquarium's website.
“Rest in peace little one. What a blessing your beautiful magic was to the world,” Vivienne wrote.
“Best wishes to our champion,” Vicky wrote. “Love knows no borders.”
