SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — SeaWorld San Diego’s Emperor Penguin chick, Pearl, has placed third in the global March of the Penguin Madness Tournament.
After five bracket-style rounds and over 800,000 votes from across the world, three penguins earned trophies in Penguin International’s March of the Penguin Madness Tournament out of the 48 penguins nominated by zoos and aquariums around the world.
Pearl, who was born just back in September 2023, placed third in the global competition behind first place winner Kokosanka, the albino African penguin from Zoo Gdańsk in Poland, and Littlefoot, the second place King penguin from the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium.
Pearl was the first Emperor penguin chick to hatch at SeaWorld San Diego since 2010, and was named Pearl after 29,000 people voted to select her name.
“Our March of the Penguin Madness competition brings global awareness to penguins in a fun
way while also providing education about penguins and the threats they face in the wild,”
states Katie Propp, the Chief Operations Officer at Penguins International. “The competition has
continued to grow in popularity, it went viral in the UK in 2023 with Spike the King Penguin
from Birdland Park and Gardens crowned the Peng Win Champion thanks to media attention
from the BBC. This year it went viral in Poland helping Kokosanka win the crown. If every
person that voted for the penguins in this competition took action on their behalf, just imagine
the impact we could have for these animals in the wild!”
Representing San Diego, Birch Aquarium’s Little Blue Penguin, Meatloaf, and SeaWorld San Diego’s Pearl, made it to the third round of Penguin International’s March of the Penguin Madness Tournament earlier this spring, with Pearl going on to place third in the entire competition.
View a full list of the 2024 contestants online here.
The March of the Penguin Madness Tournament is an international education initiative by Penguins International, a nonprofit organization based on Colorado. Their mission — “protecting penguins to protect the planet.”
The penguins in the tournament were nominated by employees at zoos, aquariums, museums and other institutions that care for penguins. Out of hundreds of nominees, just 48 contestants were chosen to compete for the title of the world’s favorite penguin in 2024.
Congrats Pearl!
