The Atlantic Puffin, often nicknamed the “sea parrot” or “clown of the sea,” is a highly specialized seabird that spends the vast majority of its life at sea. These birds are exceptionally proficient aquatic predators, returning to land only for a few months during the breeding season. This mastery of the marine environment allows the puffin to thrive in the harsh North Atlantic waters.
Propulsion and Underwater Flight
The puffin moves through the water using a method often described as “underwater flight,” powered by its short, robust wings. Unlike most diving ducks that rely on powerful legs for propulsion, the puffin uses its wings as high-efficiency flippers. To generate thrust against the water’s density, a puffin may beat its wings up to 400 times per minute.
This rapid wing movement allows the bird to achieve remarkable speed and agility while submerged. The wings are partially folded during the dive, with the handwings directed backward, which helps reduce drag and increase the lift-to-drag ratio. While the wings provide forward movement, the puffin uses its large, webbed feet primarily as rudders to steer and brake.
Specialized Physical Traits
The puffin possesses numerous anatomical adaptations that enable its aquatic specialization. Their wings are relatively small compared to their body size, which makes flight in the air energetically demanding, but this morphology is perfectly suited for generating powerful strokes underwater. These short wings are driven by exceptionally thick, myoglobin-rich pectoral muscles, which allow for sustained, intense activity underwater.
The puffin’s legs are set far back on its body, which makes its waddling gait on land awkward. This posterior placement provides optimal positioning for steering and stability when submerged. The puffin’s dense plumage is layered and waterproofed with oil from a preen gland to provide insulation and maintain buoyancy control in cold ocean waters. The bird’s relatively dense bone structure acts as a form of natural ballast, helping it to rapidly overcome buoyancy and descend quickly.
Foraging and Deep Diving Behavior
The primary purpose of the puffin’s swimming ability is to hunt for small, schooling fish, which make up the bulk of its diet, including sand eels, capelin, and small herring. A puffin typically feeds in shallower waters, but it possesses the capacity for deep dives when necessary. Atlantic Puffins can routinely dive to depths of 30 to 60 feet, and they are capable of reaching maximum depths of up to 200 feet.
Most dives are short, usually lasting between 20 and 48 seconds, though they can stay submerged for up to a minute. A key adaptation for successful foraging is the puffin’s specialized bill, which features backward-pointing spines on its tongue and the roof of its mouth. This unique structure allows the bird to catch and hold multiple small fish crosswise without losing its existing catch, enabling it to collect a large meal in a single dive before returning to the surface.