Dive Depths

Penguins are among the most accomplished divers in the bird world. A Little Blue hunts in the top ten metres; an Emperor can plunge past half a kilometre, holding its breath for more than twenty minutes. Scroll through this column and watch how the species stack up against the ocean itself.

565m
Deepest recorded Emperor dive
27min
Longest Emperor breath-hold
8.5kph
Gentoo underwater top speed
~60%
Of a penguin's life is spent at sea