Precious 10-Month-Old Penguin at Cincinnati Zoo Takes Its First Swim
It’s a monumental moment in a young penguin’s life when they get to take their first swim. That was the case for Julep recently, a 10 month old penguin at Cincinnati Zoo. Her caretaker put her into a small pool of water for her swim lesson, and before you knew it, she was off through the water like a bullet.
It’s just what penguins are designed to do, and she did an excellent job! Since her feathers are not fully waterproof yet, she just floated above the water to swim. When she reaches adulthood, she will be able to swim underneath the water since her feathers will be waterproof then.
It’s amazing to see this baby animal speed through the water. It’s her instinct to swim, and she definitely showed off her ability to. Seeing the penguin grow up must be such a treat for the caretakers.
Related: Penguins at the Detroit Zoo Woo Prospective Mates and Everyone Is in Love
At the end of the day, the caretakers are really just as much family to Julep as her mom is. They have watched her hatch and now she’s grown into a beautiful juvenile penguin. She will be swimming underwater with her family in no time!
Baby Penguins in the Wild
Penguins are amazing creatures and it would be a true treat to see them learning to swim in the wild. The little blue penguin is the smallest species of penguin in the world—which is the breed that Julep is.
When it comes to swimming, penguins are the best to come. They jump into the air before diving into the water, a move which dissipates air that’s in their feathers. It helps them to speed through the water a lot faster than if they just hopped in.
Penguins can swim at speeds up to 10 miles per hour. That’s pretty fast for a bird! During their molting period, though, they can’t swim at all because they lose their waterproof feathers.
When it comes to family, penguins have the cutest tradition. When they mate, they usually pick a mate and stick with them for life. And before a female builds a nest, a male will bring rocks to her to build the nest with. How romantic is that?
Penguins are total social butterflies, living in huge groups of over 100 sometimes in the wild. It’s easy to spot their tuxedo-like bodies from above as they waddle through the ice and snow.
Penguins are fascinating animals that can teach us a lot about family connections.
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