Magic and the colony give a special tribute to the world-famous gay penguin after his death

Some love stories touch people's hearts in one way or another and among them is of the world-famous same-sex penguins, Sphen and Magic. Their love started in 2018 and unfortunately, after six years, Sphen, nearly 12, died this month due to his old age. However, Magic decided to pay his tribute to his partner by singing a song, setting off the penguin colony at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium to sing along with him, reports The Washington Post. 

Richard Dilly, the aquarium's general manager, said in a press release on August 29, “The loss of Sphen is heartbreaking to the penguin colony, the team and everyone who has been inspired or positively impacted by Sphen and Magic's story.” The same-sex couple fell in love in 2018 when Sphen indicated his love for Magic by giving him a "special stone." They grew close and were seen incubating a rock. So, the keepers of the Sea Life decided to give them a real egg that a straight penguin couple was struggling to take care of, as earlier reported by Scoop Upworthy. The zoo keepers found that the couple were natural fathers as they incubated the egg for 68 days straight. After two months, the egg hatched and it was named Lara and nicknamed Sphengic.

Sphen and Magic welcomed their second child, Clancy, in November 2022 amidst the pandemic. Back then, the penguin keeper Keira Ponting spoke about the couple's third anniversary. She said, "They're still going strong this year, celebrating their third anniversary." "They have moved house and they are in a brand new nest location, and are still one of our strongest couples in the exhibit. They are a great example to the rest of the colony. They're inseparable and proving just how strong penguin bonds can be. We've noticed many of the newer penguin couples setting up their nests close to Sphen and Magic, which we think is them trying to learn from the best."

Same-sex pairings are not uncommon among penguins, the aquarium spokesperson said. "Penguins, including Gentoo Penguins, are among the many species in which male-male or female-female pairing occur frequently and we are fortunate to have our own male-male pair – Sphen and Magic – here at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium," she said. "Just like our other Gentoo parents, Sphen and Magic are attentive and incredibly caring and we feel privileged to have such an amazing duo in our colony." The couple rose to fame when they were featured on the acclaimed Netflix show, "Atypical." In the show's third season, Sam, the main character, who has autism, told his sister that he would like her to date a girl because then they would "be like Seph and Magic." 

The aquarium used its popularity to promote messages about conservation, plastic pollution, global warming, and the importance of protecting wild penguins, according to The Washington Post. Dilly said, "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." However, the team's focus is now on Magic, who is 9 and will reportedly prep for his first breeding season without Sphen. Rachel Anker, a spokeswoman for the aquarium, said that they will be keeping an eye and for now, it's hard to say how he is coping with it. 

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