Emperor Penguin swims thousands of kilometres from Antarctica to Australia

Clarence Ford speaks to Primedia Plus Digital Content Editor Barbara Friedman.

(Skip to 6:47 for this story.)

Emperor penguins are indigenous to snowy Antarctica so it was a bit of a head-scratching moment when a beachgoer in Australia saw one thousands of kilometers away from his home in Aussie waters, along the south coast of Denmark in Western Australia. 

The emperor penguin is known as the 'giant of the penguin world', with adult males growing up to 1.4 metres tall.

Beachgoer Aaron Fowler was amazed to discover the penguin on Friday (1 November) afternoon.

Fowler was at the beach with a friend and their children when he spotted the emperor penguin.

"There is always a bit of wildlife in the water but never a penguin," he told reporters.

"It was massive. It was way bigger than a sea bird and we're like, 'What is that thing coming out of the water?' And it kind of had a tail sticking out like a duck," Fowler said.

"It stood up in the waves and just waddled straight up to us, an emperor penguin, he was probably about a metre high, and he was not shy at all... he just looked absolutely flawless."

The species is endemic to Antarctica but 75% of their icy breeding colonies are threatened by rising temperatures.

Experts believe the emperor penguin travelled to Australia from its home in Antarctica, which is about 2,134 miles away, marking the longest journey ever recorded for the species. It is the furthest north an emperor penguin has ever been seen in the wild.

"The world is changing. We don't even know where the penguins are."

- Barbara Friedman

"He has been taken into care by wildlife carers in Australia but it remains unclear if he'll remain in Australia or be returned home to Antarctica."

- Barbara Friedman

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.