JUMPING
Gento Penguins are only 19” high and the snow is often 1 foot thick at water’s edge. To return from the sea is not much of problem from them when the tide is high (Penguins can jump their height). But as the tide drops it becomes an issue.
Here, with the tide down about a foot, the penguins couldn’t get it through their brain that it was too high for them to jump. (Penguins are not known for their intelligence.)
Later in the day when the tide rose, the penguins made it ashore just fine.
RUNNING
A little known fact is that most efficient and fastest way for penguins to travel on their bellies. While they are quite slow walking on their two feet, as you can see from the below video they move very quickly on their bellies.
The video was taken from our ship as we cruised along at 10 knots and the penguins keep pace with us for 2 minutes (or about a quarter mile). And demonstrating the size of their brain, they ran away from us in the same direction we were going!
SWIMMING
In the water, penguins are excellant swimmers.
