Long ago, according to an old Antarctic legend, the penguins held a race across the icy land. They ran as fast as they could, slipping, sliding and tumbling into fluffy snowdrifts. At the finish line, they were all laughing so much that they decided walking with a funny wobble was much more fun than running. Ever since then, every penguin has proudly waddled wherever they go!
Now for the real story...
Penguins waddle because their short legs are placed far back on their bodies. This makes them incredible swimmers but a little clumsy on land. Their side-to-side walk actually helps them save energy while moving across the ice.
When they need to travel faster, many penguins slide on their bellies across the snow. This is called tobogganing, and it's often much quicker than walking!
So maybe Pennu waddles because of an ancient penguin tradition... or maybe he's simply using the smartest way to travel across the ice!
Fun Fact
Did you know? Emperor penguins can hold their breath for over 20 minutes while diving for food!