The pesto is growing!

After reaching celebrity in September, the king penguin chick begins to shed its brown feathers in exchange for new waterproof feathers as it matures into adulthood.

Pesto, who lives at the Sea Life Aquarium in Melbourne, Australia, is nearing the final stages of his first molt. This is a crucial phase in a king penguin’s life because it signifies the beginning of its independence as it prepares to leave the colony, according to the aquarium.

King penguin chicks experience their first molt around 10 months of age and the process can last up to six weeks, depending on the aquarium. Since molting requires chicks to use up a lot of energy, the animals often lose weight as they form their sleek new feathers.

“As Pesto sheds his juvenile feathers and develops his sleek, waterproof adult plumage, he begins to look more like an adult king penguin and is almost ready to dive into the next stage of life as a member of the colony,” a said a representative of the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium sharing with TODAY.com.

Growing these new feathers will allow Pesto to eventually swim. Although the brown feathers of king penguin chicks are insulating, they are not waterproof, which is where their adult plumage comes in handy.

The aquarium expects him to begin swimming with other king penguins as soon as the molting process is complete, according to their website. But for now, Pesto is flaunting his “mid-molt” look for the world to see.

Pesto became a high-profile animal celebrity earlier this year, thanks to his intense lifestyle, eating up to 25 fish per dayas well as its adorable appearance.

The Melbourne Aquarium even hosted its own gender reveal in September for the penguin – and his fans, of course.

Many other penguins at Melbourne’s Sea Life Aquarium have become interested in pesto, according to the aquarium’s website. His biological father, Blake, is the oldest and largest penguin at the facility.