1. Their "tuxedo" pattern is underwater camouflage. A penguin’s black-and-white look is called countershading! From above, their black back blends into the dark ocean depths to hide from predators like seals. From below, their white belly blends in with the bright, sunlit surface of the water!

2. Penguins "propose" with pebbles. Male Gentoo penguins search the beach for the smoothest, most perfect pebble they can find to give to a female. If she accepts it, she uses it to build their nest—it's like a penguin engagement ring!

3. They fly underwater. While penguins can't fly through the air, their flippers and heavy bones allow them to "fly" underwater at speeds up to 15 to 20 miles per hour, making sharp twists and turns to catch fish.

4. They can drink ocean saltwater safely. Penguins have a special supraorbital gland located right above their eyes! This gland filters excess salt out of their bloodstream, which they then sneeze or squirt out through their beak.

5. Some penguins live on tropical beaches. Not all penguins live in snow and ice! Galapagos penguins live right near the equator on sunny tropical islands, while African penguins live on sandy beaches in South Africa.

6. Male Emperor penguins incubate eggs for months without eating. Female Emperor penguins lay a single egg and head out to sea to feed. The male balances the egg on his feet under a cozy fold of skin called a brood pouch, standing in freezing blizzards for up to two months without eating anything!

7. They lose all their feathers at once. Once a year, penguins go through a catastrophic molt. Instead of losing a few feathers at a time, they lose all their feathers at once over a few weeks, staying on land until their waterproof coat grows back.