Not so Happy Feet: None of Napier's captive penguins are gay

It seems Irish penguins are a lot more into the concept of Happy Feet than their NZ counterparts.

A glut of gay penguins at an Irish aquarium has surprised the National Aquarium of New Zealand, which says there isn't even one Happy Feet in its midst.

Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium is home to 14 Gentoo penguins, four of whom are homosexual and four lesbian, according to manager Louise Overy who spoke to the Daily Mirror.

A spokesperson from the National Aquarium in Napier said its penguin minders were not aware of any of its Little Blue Penguins that were interested in birds of the same sex, not even the infamous Naughty Timmy.

Naughty Timmy was named penguin of the year in 2018. Photo / File

"However this is common in nature, and other zoos and aquariums have reported numerous stories," the spokesperson said.

"Penguins, like many other birds, have to be DNA sexed to distinguish males from females so first appearances are not always like they seem."

Overy said it wasn't unusual for penguins to be gay, but it was highly unusual for a large number of them to be in one place.

Gonzo, the one with one flipper, waits his turn to jump into the Penguin Cove in Napier. Photo / File

A 2010 study revealed that penguins may engage in same-sex flirting due to lack of options.

"In two extraordinary cases, same‐sex pairs learned each other's calls, an essential step in the pairing process. The frequency of such pairs was much lower than among displaying couples, significantly so for males," the study said.

A famous same-sex penguin couple, Roy and Silo, were based at New York's Central Park Zoo and were happily together for six years. The couple raised a chick together and inspired children's book And Tango Makes Three.

Roy was heartbroken when Silo later took up with another female penguin.

Another famous same-sex pair were based at an aquarium in Sydney, Australia.

While other penguins got distracted from their nests or waddled off to frolic in the water leaving their neglected eggs to go cold, Sphen and Magic took an entirely different approach.

The pair built the biggest nest of any of the penguins at the aquarium and were eager for an egg of their own. The staff provided them with a 'dummy egg' to find out if the pair were serious about parenting and upon seeing their dedication, they were provided with a real one and became successful parents.

Whether the Little Blue Penguins at the National Aquarium will ever change their approach is a mystery.

Staff however continue to supervise the antics of Timmy, who won the Penguin of the Year award in 2018 for stealing food and continually flicking sand into the keepers eyes.