Camden's Adventure Aquarium welcomes Little Blue Penguin

CAMDEN, New Jersey (WPVI) -- In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey welcomed a feathery bundle of joy.

The healthy female Little Blue Penguin was born on April 2, aquarium officials said.

The chick is the aquarium's third Little Blue chick, and Kirra and Spud's first hatchling.

When hatched, the baby weighed less than two ounces, the approximate weight and size of a golf ball, but has grown to weigh 11.6 ounces, officials said.

Little Blue Penguins are the smallest species of penguin in the world, growing an average of 10-12 inches in height and weighing in at just 2.5 pounds on average.

According to experts, they are known for their striking slate-blue plumage, and their small stature has given them the nickname "fairy penguins." Little blues can be found along the coastlines and inshore waters of southern Australia and New Zealand.

Congratulations, Kirra and Spud.