Penguin Secrets

Scientists are mystified by the abilities of emperor penguins. It seems that researchers put small data recorders on the birds and discovered that the penguins can dive to a depth of 1,800 feet and stay down there in the depths of the sea for up to 20 minutes.

When emperor penguins dive below the Antarctic sea ice in search of food, they can descend five times as deep as a human and can swim on a single breath for up to 20 minutes. Researchers are trying to find out how they manage these incredible feats to potentially help improve surgical procedures and anesthesia.

Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest species of penguin. During their harsh life cycle they dwell on ice and march up to 100 miles from their mating grounds to dive into frigid waters to feed on krill and fish.

Using small devices called time-depth recorders, researchers found that the birds could dive deeper than 1,800 feet—the deepest a human can dive unassisted is just over 300 feet.

The penguins "dove much deeper than we ever thought they would,” said Paul Ponganis, a physiologist at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

Researchers aren’t sure how emperors can descend so deep without developing decompression sickness, or the bends. “That’s probably the big question about tolerating depth,” Ponganis told LiveScience.

Of course, those of us who are up to speed on the Animal Uprising know what the clueless scientists do not. There is a simple, yet terrifying, reason why they can dive so deep and stay down so long. The penguins have submarines.