Their wings evolved to swim and dive underwater, though. On the top of their wings is a special oil called preen oil, which helps waterproof their feathers to avoid getting wet when swimming in water.

Puffins dive for food into the sea by swimming forwards then plunging downwards with their wings outstretched like fins. They usually only swim in water less than 13 meters deep – this means they are very vulnerable to being hit by boats.

You’ll find the Atlantic puffin on the north Atlantic ocean and the tufted puffin and the horned puffin on the North Pacific Ocean. They tend to have a long lifespan of about 20 years in the wild and even longer in captivity. 

When puffin chicks hatch, they are born with yellow beaks like baby penguins, but these turn dark as they get older. Puffins have a layer of thick fat around their bodies which helps them keep warm when swimming in cold water far from shore.

Another interesting fact about puffins is that they have a unique way of getting rid of their unwanted feathers. When preening (removing parasites from their feathers), they twist and turn their head as they pull them out.

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