Melbourne, Australia — The only emperor penguin known to have swum from Antarctica to Australia was released at sea 20 days after he waddled ashore on a popular tourist beach, officials said Friday.

An emperor penguin that made it to a beach in Australia was released back into the Southern Ocean after spending 20 days in recovery and gaining more than a few pounds, according to officials.

The emperor penguin was malnourished, alone — and on a popular beach in southwest Australia, waddling through the sand more than 2,000 miles from its natural habitat.

The penguin appeared Nov. 1 on Ocean Beach in Denmark, a town in western Australia, and was spotted by a beachgoer, according to a statement provided to USA TODAY by the Department of Biodiversity ...

An emperor penguin surprised locals when it appeared on a beach in Australia after making an epic journey of thousands of miles from its home in Antarctica.. The penguin arrived on Ocean Beach in ...

This is the first time an emperor penguin has been reported in Australia, according to a wildlife expert. It came ashore Nov. 1 after making about a 2,200 mile swim north from its home in Antarctica.

A male emperor penguin dubbed Gus stands on a scale after being discovered on a beach near Denmark, Australia, on Nov. 1, 2024, thousands of miles from its normal habitat on Antarctica.

The first thing she did was encourage the penguin to step onto a scale so she could record its weight—about 50 pounds. This allowed her to understand how much medication and fluids to give the bird.

An aquarium in Australia is now home to the biggest baby penguin it has ever seen. Pesto, a 9-month-old king penguin, has weighed in at just under 50 pounds — more than the weight of both his ...

In March 2025, a rare, all-white penguin was found on a beach in Australia in 'underweight and dehydrated' condition. The Wildlife Welfare Organisation is now caring for the bird.

An emperor penguin found earlier this month in Denmark, Australia — about 2,200 miles off the Antarctic coast — is reportedly being cared for by a wildlife expert.