Behavior & Breeding

How deep can penguins dive?

Emperor penguins are the deepest-diving penguins, with a confirmed record of 564 meters (1,850 feet) — deeper than any other bird on Earth. They can hold their breath for over 20 minutes during deep dives. King penguins regularly dive to 300 meters. Most smaller species dive much shallower: gentoo penguins typically reach 20 to 100 meters, while little blue penguins rarely go below 30 meters. Penguins manage these dives by slowing their heart rate, diverting blood to essential organs, and carrying oxygen in their muscles via high concentrations of myoglobin.