Big Steps for Little Chicks Ember and Echo

Photo Credit: Screenshot from video

The first African Penguin chicks that have hatched at the Two Oceans Aquarium’s beach in a decade (Ember and Echo) have rightfully stolen the hearts of the penguin keepers.

Cape Town, South Africa (09 April 2025) — African Penguin chicks Ember and Echo are the first of their kind to have hatched at the Two Oceans Aquarium in ten years.

Ember and Echo were welcomed to the world in February and wasted no time in swiftly stealing the hearts of the Aquarium’s penguin keepers.

Their penguin parents, Neptune and Alan, have kept careful watch over the little ones. Though sometimes it is the chicks who keenly watch their parents as they follow them around and play copycat on a mission to learn the way of the waddle and how to be a penguin, of course.

The last time we reported on the babies, they were said to have been enjoying time in their nest as they were still very young. But time moves pretty fast when you’re a growing chick with the right resources. Since our last update, the chicks have taken several big steps out of the nest, surpassing milestones and showing positive signs of growth.

In a recent update from the Aquarium, the team shared that some of the milestones they tried, tested, and conquered include Ember and Echo taking their first steps, enjoying their first feedings, and spending time together as a family.

The team have put together a little video of the penguin family in action. Prepare yourself: it’s precious.

Watch: Ember, Echo and Their Penguin Family

As for the many other African penguins facing an existential threat, good news has come at long last. An in-principle agreement has been reached on overfishing restrictions around critical penguin breeding areas. You can learn more about the agreement and what it could mean here.