Have an ice day: Penguin back on track for home

The Antarctic emperor penguin washed up on the Kapiti Coast in June is today heading home.

Happy Feet's journey south can be followed online thanks to the Havelock North-based company Sirtrack, which fitted him with a tracking device.

The 3-year-old penguin slid down a purpose-made hydroslide on the side of Niwa research vessel Tangaroa into the ocean at 10.30am yesterday, 621km south of New Zealand.

Wellington Zoo manager Lisa Argilla, who along with Niwa staff helped Happy Feet on to the slide, said he needed some gentle encouragement to leave the refrigerated crate that had been his home for the past six days.

"He was a little bit apprehensive because it was obviously something he'd never seen before so he chose to not step out of the crate. But after a gentle tap he went out on to the ramp. He slid in backwards, went under for a few seconds and popped up again and looked at us. And then he just took off and dove, and went under and far far away.

"It was pretty exciting," Dr Argilla said. "It was a great release." The entire crew were on deck to say goodbye.

Tangaroa continued with its research mission to the Campbell Islands to survey stocks of southern blue whiting, a type of cod.

Voyage leader Richard O'Driscoll said the special passenger had been a good traveller.

"He's been a well-behaved passenger, except when our team have helped to feed him and he's shown them who the boss is with a peck or two."

Happy Feet made headlines when he was discovered on Peka Peka Beach, north of Wellington, and spent two months recuperating at Wellington Zoo from four operations, after eating sand and sticks - mistaking them for snow and fish.

Dr Argilla said he was fit and healthy and had "just as much chance" of surviving as other juvenile emperor penguins, which tend to swim alone. He could spend up to a year in the Southern Ocean before returning to Antarctica to breed.

Sirtrack, which has 25 years of experience in wildlife tracking, designed and built the satellite transmitter and created a website so people can watch the penguin's travels to Antarctica. So far he has zig-zagged in an easterly direction.

The KiwiSat 202 tracking device was fitted to Happy Feet's feathers using glue and tape. It is designed to fall off when he moults in March or April.

Follow Happy Feet's travels on www.nzemperor.com