He was found bedraggled and bewildered. He couldn't stand and his flippers weren't flipping.

He's the smallest of his kind and the big waves seemed to get the better of him, because he was also partially paralysed.

ARRC manager Sue Mackey feeds ‘Flipper' the little blue penguin, and the x-ray taken after he was rescued. Photo by Tracy Hardy.

But the little blue penguin, found washed ashore on Maketu beach last week, defied the odds after beach-goers alerted the Department of Conservation, who brought him to the caring expert hands of Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre Wildlife Trust.

He hasn't been named, but for the sake of this article Trust founder Liza Schneider thought ‘Flipper' would fit.

Liza says Flipper's spinal injury meant the paralysed penguin couldn't stand or move his flippers much. 'He was very depressed,” she says.

'After taking an x-ray to make sure he didn't have a broken spine, we treated him with a couple of sessions in our special hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which helps nerves to heal and he's been making great progress.”

He's a very lucky penguin because according to Liza, the chamber is only one of only two in the country that treats animals.

'He's now able to stand on his own for short periods of time and he can now swim too,” she adds.

'He's delightful.... absolutely loves his food and he's so determined to be mobile.”

Day by day he exercises his flippers in the bath – and gulps down special penguin food… fish.

Liza expects the little guy will be returned to the seaside after he's fully rehabilitated and gets a clean bill of health from a vet check in about two weeks.

She says it's not uncommon for little blue penguins to waddle to the water at this time of year.

'A lot of the young ones are going out to sea and we get many in at the moment that are badly injured,” adds Liza

If you see one of these petite penguins at the beach and he or she is not in any danger or hurt, the advice is just leave it be.

'It's best to leave them on the beach,” says Liza, 'because they're often just resting and recovering.”

However, if it's dishevelled or dazed and its flippers aren't flipping, call ARRC on: 07 579 9115.