QUEENSLAND, Australia – On a sunny day at Bingil Bay in Queensland, Australia, beachgoers were stunned when a large flightless bird emerged from the ocean. Initially mistaken for a turtle or a shark due to its dark mass, it turned out to be a southern cassowary, which is considered one of the most dangerous birds in the world.

The sighting of the endangered bird was reported to Queensland officials on October 31, who described the video taken by a campground host as “astonishing.” Wildlife officer Stephen Clough explained that cassowaries can swim and may take to the water to cross from one side of a river to the other, or to escape threats from domestic dogs or other cassowaries during territorial disputes.

It remains unclear how long the cassowary had been in the water or where it came from. One theory suggests that it may have entered the ocean around south Mission Beach and been swept around to Bingil Bay by the current or in a rip.

With only about 4,000 cassowaries left in Queensland, officials emphasize the importance of protecting these large, flightless birds. Cassowaries, closely related to emus, are the heaviest bird native to Australia and the second heaviest in the world after the ostrich, according to the San Diego Zoo.