Australian surfers are stunned when they find an Antarctic animal on the beach

If you go surfing, you can expect to encounter seagulls, fish or maybe even a shark. When surfers on an Australian beach last month saw a giant bird emerge from the waves, they were amazed.

“It was huge, it was much bigger than a seabird and we were like, ‘What is that thing coming out of the water?'” Aaron Fowler, a surfer who spotted the bird, told Australian Broadcast Corporation. “It was standing in the waves and waddling straight towards us.”

As the bird got closer, it became clear that it was a long way from home – it was large, with a black and white body and a yellow neck. He was none other than an emperor penguin.

While Australia is home to a species of little penguin, emperor penguins are native to Antarctica, which is separated from the beach where the bird was found by more than 2,000 miles of ocean. An emperor penguin has never been known to travel all the way to Australia.

Although no one is sure why this particular penguin ended up so far from home, it is likely that it was following a strong current during a hunting trip. While emperor penguins are known to travel up to 1,000 miles in search of food, 2,000 miles is previously unknown.

Due to its incredibly long journey, the penguin was underweight and weak. He was half the weight of a healthy adult emperor penguin.

Wildlife rescuers Carol and Graham Biddulph took in the penguin for much-needed rest. They gave him the nickname Gus, after the Roman Emperor Augustus.

As wildlife rescuers attended to Gus, he regained his strength. In just three weeks he had gained almost 8 pounds.

“The care, attention and efforts of Carol and Graham Biddulph have given the Antarctic bird, found thousands of kilometers outside its native range and in a different climate, a fighting chance to survive,” said a representative from Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Conservation Attractions (DBCA) wrote in a press release.

When Gus got better, it was time for him to return to the wild.

A team of veterinarians and wildlife experts transported him back to the Antarctic Ocean, where he swam back to the cold waters he calls home. Hopefully it stays put this time.