‘Are You A Little Lost?’: Emperor Penguin From Antarctica Makes Cameo In Aussie Family’s Beach Video

Jan 20, 2025

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A penguin who made the journey from Antarctica and ended up at a popular beach in Denmark, Western Australia, has left the internet stunned. In the fascinating tale, an emperor penguin, later named Gus, appeared in the most unexpected of spots and also managed to find himself featured in a family video at the beach. 

The penguin was named after the first Roman emperor, Augustus, by wildlife caregiver Carol Biddulph, who cared for him after he was spotted on the Western Australian coast. Gus is the only emperor penguin known to have made the swim from Antarctica to Australia – an astounding distance of over 2,200 miles. According to the Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Gus is also the first emperor penguin to have ever been spotted in Australia. The department took Gus into their care while deciding on the next steps to ensure his safety and health. The department decided the best course of action was to release Gus back into the wild. After 20 days, they took Gus on a boat that traveled several hours away before releasing him into the ocean to find his way home.

Gus had some memorable moments during his stay in Australia, starting from his first moments captured by local surfer Aaron Fowler. While the emperor penguin appeared casual and calm waddling on the beach in the video, he looked clearly out of place in the unfamiliar surroundings. Fowler recalled the rare encounter with Gus, telling ABC News:

“It stood up in the waves and just waddled straight up to us, an emperor penguin, probably about a meter high, and he was not shy at all.”

Unsurprisingly, the long journey to Australia had taken its toll on the penguin, who was found malnourished when caretaker Biddulph took him in. Explaining his condition and subsequent care, she said:

“He was very thin, and so we had to go through a gentle process of refeeding him, not too fast, not too slow, just right, introducing fluids, then slurry towards whole fish.” 

She went on to state that concern began to grow that Gus wouldn’t be able to survive Australia’s warmer climate. Releasing him back into the ocean was deemed the best plan for the cold-climate bird, with temperatures set to increase as the Australian summer approached. 

During his surprise sojourn in Australia, Gus brought joy and excitement to a local family, who made their way to the beach after hearing reports of his surprising presence there. Mom Jazz Bailey captured the moment her family spotted Gus in a video posted on Facebook, writing:

“Off we went to see if we were lucky enough to meet the special visitor. Sure enough, there it was just waddling along the sand, seeming a little lost but so very chill and inquisitive of us.”

In the clip, Bailey could also be heard asking Gus, “Are you a little lost?” to which Gus nodded. The video has garnered upwards of 4.5 million views and over two thousand comments, with Facebook users sharing their excitement and intrigue. 

“Big fella looks like he woke up after a bender and doesn’t know where he is and how he got there,” one user joked.

Another commended the mom for respecting the penguin’s personal space amid the family’s curiosity, writing:

“The best part of this is when the mom said we need to respect his space ❤️”

Gus’ journey to Australia is surely one for the books and brought a moment of lightness and amusement, not just for the Bailey family!

What do you think of this encounter? How would you have reacted? What unusual animal have you always wanted to see? Let us know, and then pass this along to all the animal lovers you know!