Gentoo penguins are known for their unique and impressive behavior called “porpoising,” which involves jumping in and out of the water while swimming at high speeds. This behavior is not only fascinating to observe but also serves an important purpose for these flightless birds in their daily lives. Porpoising is a form of “aquatic flight” that allows gentoo penguins to move through the water more quickly and efficiently than simply swimming. By leaping out of the water and then diving back in, gentoo penguins can conserve energy and move through the water with minimal drag, which is especially important when they need to swim long distances to reach their feeding grounds.
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When penguins swim underwater, they jump out of the water about every 50-100m and fly through the air for a second or two, then diving back again, this behavior calls “porpoising”.