Five African penguin chicks have hatched at a South Carolina aquarium in just the past few months, pushing 2026's total to a "Lucky Seven" for a species now classified as critically endangered in the wild.

  • 7 African penguin chicks hatched at Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach in 2026
  • 5 of those chicks arrived within the last few months alone
  • Fewer than 8,750 breeding pairs of African penguins remain in the wild
  • Wild numbers are dropping roughly 8% every year, per the IUCN

A colony that keeps growing

Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach welcomed its first two African penguin chicks of the year earlier in 2026, then added five more in quick succession — a pace the aquarium says has made this "an unforgettable year" for its Penguin Playhouse exhibit, which opened in 2020.

"We thought we were lucky with our first two chicks, but welcoming five more has made this an unforgettable year," said Courtnie Barnett, General Manager at Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach. "This incredible milestone would not be possible without our amazing animal care team."

"African penguins are a Critically Endangered species, making each successful hatch especially meaningful." — Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

Why every hatch counts right now

The stakes behind the celebration are real. In late 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature uplisted the African penguin from Endangered to Critically Endangered after the wild population fell below 10,000 breeding pairs — a loss of roughly 97% of the species' historical numbers, driven by overfishing of the small fish the birds eat and by habitat disturbance along South Africa's and Namibia's coasts.

That's why Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach works directly with SANCCOB, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, alongside other zoos and aquariums participating in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan — a coordinated breeding programme designed to keep threatened species genetically healthy in human care.

Watching the chicks grow up

The newest arrivals are being closely monitored by the aquarium's animal care team as they develop their adult feathers and personalities, according to WFXB's coverage of the announcement. Their visibility to guests will vary as they continue growing, with the team prioritizing the chicks' health over public viewing schedules.

Each hatch adds a small but meaningful buffer for a species whose wild cousins are disappearing fast. With seven new penguins joining the Myrtle Beach colony in a single year, the aquarium's "Lucky Seven" are doing their part to keep the species' story from ending on the coast where it began.