Emperor penguin released at sea 20 days after waddling onto Australian beach

The male emperor penguin was released back into the ocean off the south coast of Western Australia (Miles Brotherson/DBCA via AP)

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

The adult male was found on November 1 on Ocean Beach sand dunes in the town of Denmark in temperate south-west Australia – about 2,200 miles north of the icy waters off the Antarctic coast, the Western Australia state government said.