The distance to which they move varies according to the migration reason, the environmental conditions, and the species. The Adélie penguins of the Ross Sea travel about 13,000-17,600 kilometers annually to their breeding colonies, while some Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) can move about 4,828 kilometers. The migration can be walking or swimming, but the emperor penguins only have their legs and their bellies to march on the ice and snow and travel 50 - 120 km.
Depending on the extent of the ice pack, females may need to travel some 50 miles just to reach the open ocean, where they will feed on fish, squid, and krill. At sea, emperor penguins can dive to 1,850 feet—deeper than any other bird—and stay under for more than 20 minutes.
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The distance to which they move varies according to the migration reason, the environmental conditions, and the species. The Adélie penguins of the Ross Sea travel about 13,000-17,600 kilometers annually to their breeding colonies, while some Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) can move about 4,828 kilometers. The migration can be walking or swimming, but the emperor penguins only have their legs and their bellies to march on the ice and snow and travel 50 - 120 km.
Depending on the extent of the ice pack, females may need to travel some 50 miles just to reach the open ocean, where they will feed on fish, squid, and krill. At sea, emperor penguins can dive to 1,850 feet—deeper than any other bird—and stay under for more than 20 minutes.