A wayward emperor penguin found in New Zealand in June is on his way back to cooler waters.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- The wayward emperor penguin known to the world as Happy Feet left a New Zealand zoo today on the first leg of his journey back to cooler southern waters.

The 3-foot-tall penguin craned his head back and forth, flapped his flippers and seemed a little perturbed by his move from the Wellington Zoo to the research vessel Tangaroa, which was to leave port later in the day.

Happy Feet was found on a New Zealand beach June 20, far from his Antarctic feeding grounds. He was moved to the zoo after he became ill from eating sand that he likely mistook for snow. He’s since regained weight and been cleared to be returned to the wild.

Lisa Argilla, a veterinarian who has helped nurse the penguin back to health, said he has a “stronger and stroppier attitude” than when he first arrived at the zoo, when his demeanor seemed flat and his feather condition was poor.

“He’s definitely a survivor,” she said.

A web camera set up at the zoo has attracted about a quarter million viewers — despite the penguin doing little more than eating, sleeping and waddling.

The Tangaroa is New Zealand’s largest research vessel and was already scheduled to head into frigid southern waters to check on fish numbers in order to set fishing quotas. Happy Feet has been placed in a custom-made crate for the journey and will be kept cool with 60 buckets of ice. He’ll be fed fish.

He will be released after four days at sea at a latitude of 51 degrees south.