How deep can they dive?
The depth that a penguin dives depends on the depth of their prey which varies by location, season and time of day. Most penguins do not dive to great depths or long durations because their prey is found closer to the surface. The average length of penguin dives is about 6 minutes. Emperor penguins dive deeper than all other bird species, diving to 550 meters (1,800 feet) for durations as long as 20 minutes, although most dives are in the 3 minute period. Emperor penguins have a physiology that allows them an increased ability to store oxygen in the body, and an ability to tolerate low levels of oxygen in the body and increase pressure from ocean depths. King penguins which are the next largest penguins to the emperor are the second deepest and longest divers. Adlie penguins rank third in diving depth and duration. Little Blue penguins (the smallest penguin species) can dive to a maximum of 60 meters and duration of 2 minutes.
