QUESTION:
Dear Scientist,
We are in second grade, and we just finished a unit on penguins,
and we were wondering, if they could, how could the penguins try to
avoid being eaten by a leopard seal or an orca whale?
        
        Sincerely,
        Angelica, Hannah, Stephen
        Danny, and Jackie

ANSWER from Donna Patterson, Research Assistant, Dr. Fraser's Team
            Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Sun, 9 Mar 1997 14:24:34 -0500
                
Hello  Angelica, Hannah and Stephen, Danny and Jackie,

Good question!  Penguins are exposed to predators constantly during 
both their time on land as well as when they forage at sea.   When 
they leave an island to go foraging, they often leave in large groups 
and will travel quickly away from the shallow inshore area.  The 
larger groups may serve to confuse predators such as leopard seals 
that are waiting in the water.  As they leave the shallow waters by 
porpoising (popping out of the water while swimming),  the penguins 
pass the most dangerous area without pausing to catch their breath.   
Once out at sea, if a group of penguins is chased by an Orca, they 
will sometimes jump onto an ice flow and move away from open water to 
avoid the whale.  

Thanks for your question!
Donna P.