Gus the penguin sets sail in the Southern Ocean

An emperor penguin that made a roughly 3,500-kilometer (2,200 miles) journey from Antarctica to Australia was finally released at sea 20 days after waddling ashore on a popular beach.

The adult male was found on Ocean Beach on November 1 in southwest Australia, according to the government. It is the only known penguin to have covered this distance.

Carol Biddulph, a registered wildlife caregiver, took care of the bird, whom she named Gus — after the Roman emperor Augustus.

He was released on Wednesday into the Southern Ocean from a Parks and Wildlife Service boat, which traveled several hours into the sea from the southernmost city of Albany. The government announced his release on Friday.

Gus the penguin's rescue and release

"I really didn't know whether he was going to make it to begin with because he was so undernourished," Biddulph said in a video recorded before the bird's release. "I'll miss Gus. It's been an incredible few weeks, something I wouldn't have missed," she told ABC News.

Emperor penguins are the largest of their kind and have been known to cover up to 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) on foraging journeys that can last up to a month.

Gus's return to the ocean came at a crucial time as he needed to thermoregulate to adapt to summertime in the Southern Hemisphere, the government said.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the seabird was malnourished when it arrived on the Australian shore. However, under Biddulph's care, he gained some weight and passed his veterinary check.

"I've got every faith he will get home," Biddulph said.

mk/lo (AP, DW sources)