20070218_gerlache_strait_0046

Gentoo penguins on an iceberg in the Gerlache Strait. Penguins can swim at 15 MPH diving to a depth of 900 feet submerging for 20 minutes. The feathers are very dense, 70 feathers per square inch and overlap keeping the penguin waterproof . Once a year, the penguins molt and are not waterproof when molting, so they do not swim, or eat, during this time and may lose 30% of their body weight molting. Penguins drink salt water. They have special glands that remove the salt.