Biology
Aquatic Locomotion and Drag Reduction in Penguin Swimming
Quick fact
Emperor penguins swim over 10 times faster than a human Olympic swimmer, reaching speeds close to 30 km/h while expending only about half the energy of a fish of similar size.
Why this is interesting
Penguins are the fastest swimming birds, but they never took to the air. How do these seemingly awkward waddlers become so streamlined and agile in water?