Which marine animal is the fastest swimmer among penguins?

The gentoo penguin is the fastest-swimming penguin, reaching about 36 kilometres per hour.

Its streamlined body, strong flippers and powerful muscles allow it to accelerate rapidly underwater. Penguins use their flippers like wings, flying through the water rather than paddling with their feet as their main source of propulsion.

Gentoo penguins feed on krill, fish and squid. They are found around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands, where they often forage in coastal waters. Their white eye patches and bright orange-red bills help distinguish them from several other penguin species.

The speed record applies to swimming, not walking or diving depth. Penguins are flightless birds in the air, but their underwater adaptations make them highly efficient marine predators. Gentoos also rank among the larger penguin species, though emperor penguins are heavier.