An emperor penguin chick hatched at SeaWorld San Diego in September has officially been named.
Over 29,000 people took part in the vote, with more than half of voters choosing the name Pearl for the marine life theme park’s new arrival.
Pearl was hatched on Sept. 12, becoming the first emperor penguin to be hatched at SeaWorld San Diego since 2010.
SeaWorld says the general public will be able to view Pearl in early 2024 when she will be ready to join the park’s penguin colony.
“We have been amazed by the outpouring of excitement around Pearl’s hatching and cannot wait for guests to be able to see her and follow her journey as she matures,” Head of Zoological Operations Eric Otjen said.
The park has created two ticket opportunities to enable a limited number of guests to see Pearl now behind the scenes.
Ticket prices start at $94 with 10% of proceeds going to support penguin conservation around the world, the park stated in a news release.
Tickets can be purchased at https://seaworld.com/san-diego/animals/penguins/.
Emperor penguins are currently listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
SeaWorld San Diego’s Penguin Encounter is home to a colony of 17 emperor penguins, as well as 300 other penguins.
