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Family Stunned As Emperor Penguin From Antarctica Waddles Onto Australian Shore

November 18, 2024

A family in the town of Denmark, Western Australia, experienced a once-in-a-lifetime encounter when an emperor penguin, native to Antarctica, waddled ashore on a popular beach.

Jazz Bailey via Storyful

Captured on video by local surfer Aaron Fowler, the penguin seemed unbothered by its unusual surroundings—over 2,200 miles from its icy Antarctic habitat.

“It stood up in the waves and just waddled straight up to us,” he told ABC News. “An emperor penguin, probably about a meter high, and he was not shy at all.”

This marks the first time an emperor penguin has ever been reported in Australia, according to the Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

@abc7chicago An Australian family had an unusual encounter at the beach recently, when they came across an emperor penguin that was a very long way from its home in Antarctica. According to the ABC, the penguin had traveled some 3,400 kilometers (2,100 miles) from Antarctica to the beach in Denmark, Western Australia. It was the northernmost sighting of the species ever recorded - to the bafflement of scientists. Jazz Bailey, who recorded her family’s encounter with the bird, told Storyful that a friend of hers first spotted the penguin, and then she and her children decided to head to Ocean Beach to see if they could find it. “Off we went to see if we were lucky enough to meet the special visitor. Sure enough, there it was just waddling along the sand, seeming a little lost but so very chill and inquisitive of us,” Bailey wrote on Facebook. “The interaction was breathtaking and surreal. I can’t even imagine the journey it had been on,” she said. Australian media reported that the penguin, named Gus, is now being looked after by Carol Biddulph, a registered wildlife carer. #news #australia #penguin ♬ original sound - abc7chicago

The department has taken the penguin into its care and is working to determine the best course of action for its health and safety.