This penguin swam 2,000 miles to Australia – and we don’t know why

On November 1, the adult male was seen waddling up Ocean Beach in Denmark, a town in Western Australia, where he was later brought to safety by local wildlife experts. Arrival of the Emperor Penguin, now called Gusmarking the first time the species has ever reached the continent.

In the bird world, rare displacements like these are referred to as vagrancies, says Casey Youngfleshan associate professor at Clemson University who uses data science to study ecology and understand the drivers of biodiversity.

“If a species appeared all the time, we would just consider it part of their distribution,” he says. “Truthfully, we still don’t understand much about the marine environment and don’t have a good idea of ​​how many animals spend their time.”

Operating in the coldest place on Earth, emperor penguins, which can grow up to 45 inches tall and live between 15 and 20 years, typically live in colonies with populations that can range from a few hundred to thousands of members. But even huddling together is no guarantee against surviving the elements, and penguins owe all their advantages to several unique adaptations.

Incredibly dense feathers protect penguins from Antarctica’s freezing temperatures and biting winds, and significant fat stores allow them to fast in long periods. These animals are also phenomenal swimmers, capable of diving to depths of over 450 meters.