Emperor penguins MIGRATION: Emperor penguins make yearly travels inland to breeding sites in the early spring. Near the beginning of summer, adult penguins and their chicks return to the sea and spend the rest of the summer feeding there.

Emperor penguins migrate annually from the West coast of Antarctica to their breeding grounds. This journey has a distance of 60-100 miles and the main reason is for breeding. However, recently some Emperor penguins are migrating because of climate change and limited amounts of food.

These majestic penguins travel every year to reach preprogrammed, inland spots for nesting. Migration, such as this penguin ritual, allows animals to move from place to place to meet survival needs. Like the migration of birds who fly south for the winter, Emperor penguins migrate every year.

The magnificent Emperor penguins migrate each austral autumn in March from the coast, which constitutes their rich feeding grounds, inland across the thick sea ice over a distance of some 100 miles.

Where do penguins go in winter? Penguins leave Antarctica after summer, but where they go in winter was a mystery. Now, thanks to a tiny location device, scientists discovered that macaroni penguins do not go sunbathing: they spend winter feeding in the cold southern oceans.

Penguins originated in Australia and New Zealand 22 million years ago, researchers suggest; then, ancestors of the king and emperor penguins split off and moved to Antarctic waters, likely attracted by the abundant food supply there. A penguin dives from an ice block in Antarctica in March 2014.

The penguins swam halfway to Antarctica, in areas where the warm northern waters collide with the cold waters of the south. Then they swam back New Zealand. Round trip, a female traveled 6,801 kilometers (4,226 miles) in 67 days. A male swam 5,597 kilometers (3,478 miles) in 77 days.

Walking for penguins is slow-going. They can only waddle along at about 1.5 mph. With tobogganing, penguins can move faster with no risk of falling. On horizontal ice, they slide around on their bellies, using their flippers and feet for propulsion, steering, and braking.

The maximum distance that a penguin traveled was 7800 km and the farthest distance from the colony was 3500 km. The penguins first traveled north to approximately 53 degrees South latitude and then later around March they started heading back south, remaining around sea-ice.

17 species of penguins are found worldwide, however, only 7 reside in the antarctic region and can be considered truly Antarctica penguins. These are Adélies, Kings, Chinstraps, Emperors, Gentoos, Macaroni, and Rockhoppers. Penguins are flightless birds, instead they're designed to swim.

arctic tern The tiny arctic tern makes the longest migration of any animal in the world, flying about two times farther than previously thought, a new study says. Miniature new transmitters recently revealed that the 4-ounce (113-gram) bird follows zigzagging routes between Greenland and Antarctica each year.

Penguins are flightless birds with flippers instead of wings. Their bodies are adapted for swimming and diving in the water, with some species able to reach speeds up to 15 miles per hour. Their body shape is fusiform (tapered at both ends) and streamlined, allowing them to be expert swimmers.