QUESTION:
If a baby penquin wandered off into the water, could a parent save it or 
could the baby save itself?

        From:  Lynn L., 6th grade, Taylor Road Middle School
               Alpharetta, GA

ANSWER from Bill Fraser, Ecologist, Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Wed, 5 Feb 1997 12:27:03 -0500
            
    That would depend on the baby's age.  If the chick was still in its
    downy plumage--the fuzz you may have seen on the second show--the
    water would probably kill it.  However, if the chick had molted
    into its first year plumage--real feathers--it would probably
    survive a dip in the ocean.  One thing you may not know is that
    the chicks do not know how to swim when they first enter the
    water and spend a few minutes flapping around until they figure
    out how to dive and paddle.