Penguins are fascinating, flightless birds that spend most of their lives in or near the ocean. They are carnivores, which means they are meat-eaters, and they rely entirely on the sea to find their meals. Penguins use their powerful flippers and streamlined bodies to chase down their prey in the cold, vast marine environment. Their diet is composed of smaller animals that live beneath the waves.
The Penguin Main Menu
The penguin diet is made up of three main types of seafood, which they swallow whole while swimming. One of the most common foods, especially for species in colder southern waters, is krill. Krill are tiny, shrimp-like crustaceans that swim in massive groups, providing a calorie-rich food source for many Antarctic penguins.
Another major component of their meals is fish, generally small, schooling varieties like anchovies and sardines. These are quick, slippery targets, but they offer a high amount of protein and fats that penguins need to survive in their cold habitats. Penguins farther north, in places like South Africa and South America, often rely on these small fish more than on krill.
Larger penguins, such as Emperor and King penguins, also hunt for cephalopods, including various species of squid. Squid are generally low in calories compared to oily fish, but they are a regular part of the diet when seasonally abundant. Krill, fish, and squid form the vast majority of their food intake.
Amazing Underwater Hunters
Penguins are perfectly designed to catch their slippery prey in the water. Their wings have evolved into stiff, paddle-like flippers that propel them through the water with great force. They are fast swimmers, with some species able to reach speeds up to 36 kilometers per hour when chasing food or escaping predators.
Their streamlined body shape helps them cut through the water efficiently, reducing drag as they dive deep to find their meals. To stay submerged longer, penguins have adaptations like dense, solid bones. Emperor penguins, the largest species, are known for deep dives, sometimes going down over 500 meters and holding their breath for nearly twenty minutes.
When a penguin catches a meal, its beak and tongue are equipped to secure the slippery animal. Penguins do not have teeth, but their tongues are covered in backward-facing, spiky barbs. These spikes ensure that once prey is caught, it moves only down the throat, preventing it from wiggling free.
Different Penguins, Different Meals
The specific diet of a penguin changes depending on its location and the food available in its ocean habitat. Penguins living in the Antarctic region, such as the Adélie and Chinstrap penguins, focus heavily on krill. The abundance of krill in the Southern Ocean makes it their most reliable food source.
In contrast, species living in warmer, more temperate zones must adapt their menu to what is locally available. African and Galápagos penguins, for example, find less krill in their coastal waters. They primarily focus on hunting schools of small fish like anchovies and pilchards, which are plentiful in those areas.