Penguins are flightless birds that have become extremely well adapted to living in a marine environment. They use their short, stumpy wings to glide through the water and can swim extremely fast.
The normal swimming speed for an adult penguin can be as high as ten kilometres per hour. This varies slightly according to the species but, if circumstances demand it, penguins can increase their speed even more using a technique known as 'porpoising'.
They swim underwater and then leap from the surface, still travelling at speed. During their time in the air they breathe in fresh air to get oxygen into their lungs. When they go back under the water, they have not lost very much of their momentum but they have recharged their system with fresh supplies of oxygen. This enables them to use their muscles more effectively for the next burst of underwater speed before launching into the air for another breath.
The normal swimming speed for an adult penguin can be as high as ten kilometres per hour. This varies slightly according to the species but, if circumstances demand it, penguins can increase their speed even more using a technique known as 'porpoising'.
They swim underwater and then leap from the surface, still travelling at speed. During their time in the air they breathe in fresh air to get oxygen into their lungs. When they go back under the water, they have not lost very much of their momentum but they have recharged their system with fresh supplies of oxygen. This enables them to use their muscles more effectively for the next burst of underwater speed before launching into the air for another breath.
