"What's that coming out of the water?" An emperor penguin traveled almost 3400 km from Antarctica to Australia and broke a world record

Australia is home to some of the most incredible animals in the world, but seeing a penguin on the beach is a strange thing. However, it was the emperor penguin that scared the local surfers, who did not realize "what it was coming out of the water."

This amazing bird has traveled almost 3400 km from Antarctica to Australia. According to scientists, the penguin broke the world record, as it is the longest journey ever recorded for this species, writes DailyMail.

Surfer Aaron Fowler was on the beach with his friend and children when he spotted the emperor penguin. "It was something huge, it was much bigger than a seabird, and it had a tail that stuck out like a sore thumb. We were wondering what kind of thing was coming out of the water," the surfer shared his impressions.

"There's always a little bit of wildlife in the water, but I've never seen a penguin. The kids were very excited, but I don't think they realized the coolness of what was happening," added Aaron Fowler.

The surfer also said that when he got out of the water, the penguin tried to slide on his stomach, thinking it was snow, and just stuck his face in the sand. However, he did not get confused – "he got up and shook off all the sand," Fowler said.

Experts believe that the emperor penguin arrived in Australia from Antarctica, which is 3400 kilometers away.

Belinda Cannell, a researcher at the University of Western Australia, believes this could be the farthest north ever explored by an emperor penguin.

"The penguins that have been observed have never come this far. The farthest north they go from Antarctica is about 50 degrees south latitude. And Ocean Beach is 35 degrees south, which is much further north than these birds have ever been before," the researcher said.

Although the nature of this penguin's journey remains unclear, Cannell believes it was probably swimming downstream.

"These youngsters are less than a year old, and they usually stay at sea until they are about three to five years old. Then they return to their natal colony when they begin to breed. Penguins tend to follow certain currents where there are many different types of food. So maybe these currents just tended to be a little bit further north towards Australia than usual," Belinda Cannell emphasized.

The British Antarctic Survey notes on its website that emperor penguins may be the only birds that have never set foot on land and even bred in the frozen sea. After all, they are "true Antarctic birds that are rarely seen in sub-Antarctic waters," experts say.

Now the penguin-traveler is being looked after by wildlife guardians. It is not yet known whether he will stay in Australia or return home to Antarctica.

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