New arrival at Hull's The Deep as gentoo penguin chick hatches

The gentoo chick weighed 90g when it hatched a The Deep on Sunday

A penguin chick is "doing well" after it hatched at an aquarium and tourist attraction in Hull at the weekend.

The baby, a sub-species of the gentoo penguin, was born to parents Diane and Rapha at The Deep on Sunday as part of the site's breeding programme.

Penguin keeper Lloyd Wilkinson said the chick was now hidden in the nest as its parents took turns to keep it covered.

"Mum and dad are feeding it well, looking after it. They are experienced, so it's down to them for now," he said.

The new gentoo chick is a member of the sub species known as P.p ellsworthi, which in the wild inhabits the Antarctic Peninsula and its nearby islands.

Dad Rapha and mum Diana are taking it in turns to cover the chick in the nest

The penguins are part of a European breeding programme

Mr Wilkinson said: "The egg did start to hatch on Saturday and we got a successful finish to the hatch on Sunday, just in time for Father's Day."

It was not yet known if the chick was male or female but that should become clear in a few months' time once its fluffy feathers had been shed, he added.

A name can then be found for the new arrival, Mr Wilkinson said.

The chick started to hatch on Saturday and finished emerging on Sunday

The chick was currently "hiding under mum or dad", he said.

"They've been taking it in turns to stay in the nest and the chick will stay under them for a while until it gets a bit too big and it is more visible and is out in the open.

"It's very early days. It seems to be doing well."

Mr Wilkinson, senior aquarist at The Deep, said the chick's nest was at the back of the enclosure, but visitors could catch a glimpse as there was a camera in place linked to a monitor.

"At the moment, the parents are resting on top of the chick, and it is so tiny - about 90g - so you won't see anything until next week, mid- to late next week, then you will probably see it out and stood on the nest."

The Deep was designed by architect Sir Terry Farrell and opened to the public on 23 March 2002

Katy Duke, chief executive officer at The Deep, said: "It is a very proud moment to see a successful gentoo penguin chick hatch as they can unfortunately fail for a number of reasons.

"Gentoo penguins have proven to be very maternal animals, so we are excited to watch Diane and Rapha flourish in their new roles as parents and continue to care for their baby."

Ms Duke said the team at The Deep would continue to monitor the chick's development.

"The baby penguin will remain in the nest for the first month underneath the parents. As time goes on, the parents start to move off the nest for short periods of time but still come back to feed.

"After three months have passed, the chick will fledge the nest after moulting their soft downy feathers. They will then grow their waterproof feathers and will be able to swim, become independent and no longer rely on the parents for food."

The new chick is part of the EAZA breeding programme for gentoo penguins, of which The Deep is a participant.