Brad Wardrop says he has surfed at North Shore beach for the last 30 years, but in the early hours of Sunday January 21, he saw something extraordinary – a penguin in the surf.
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“Surfing most days for the last 30 years, I have seen all manner of things, from stingrays and fish to turtles and I have even had a few encounters with a great white, but nothing could prepare me for seeing a little penguin,” Mr Wardrop said.
“I first went out about 5.45am on Sunday morning and thought I saw something when I was going in, but the sun wasn’t up so I wasn’t convinced, but after surfing for more than two hours I was just sitting on my board with another surfer next to me when the strangest thing happened.
“A little penguin popped its head out of the water and swam around my board.”
Mr Wardrop says he and the other surfer couldn’t believe their eyes.
“It was seriously a once in a lifetime experience, the penguin swam around the top of my board and then went back under the water and swam away.
“I am thinking that it got washed up this way after the hazardous swells we had up here last week.
“I have also been noticing a lot of krill and plankton in the water so the little guy was probably having a feeding frenzy and wanted to say hello before swimming off to find more food.”
This strange animal sighting is not the first time we in the Hastings have seen animals where they aren’t usually found, after Port Macquarie lifeguards posted a video of kangaroos bouncing along the sand at Lighthouse Beach.
National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger Andy Marshall said that it is entirely possible for little penguins to be sighted on the Mid North Coast and said they can be seen as far north as Coffs Harbour.
“It is entirely possible to see a little penguin in the surf at Port Macquarie, where they go is usually determined by the land temperature and there have been sightings of them as far north as Coffs Harbour,” Mr Marshall said.
“The little penguin is not so much a land based bird but colonies do tend to stick together on little islands when they aren’t in the water.
“In this instance the penguin may have left the colony to go exploring or in search of more food.”
