Holding its breath in a dive
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How does a penguin hold its breath when it dives?

Nobody really knows the full answer to this. What biologists do know is that the penguin shuts off the oxygen supply to all but the most essential organs during long dives. Penguins in common with all birds have a complex respiratory system which allows them to circulate air supply continuously so getting more oxygen from the air than mammals are able to do. However, simple calculations show that during a long dive, the birds still require more oxygen than is stored in the respiratory system. So presumably, they manage to build up a large oxygen reserve in their blood and muscle tissue prior to a long dive. Indeed, penguins never take consecutive long dives. After a long dive they tend to spend several minutes on the surface before taking another dive.