When penguins feed they primarily rely on their vision while hunting. They catch prey with their bills and swallow it whole while swimming. They have a spiny tongue and powerful jaws to grip slippery prey. Different species travel various distances from the colony in search of food. When fishing grounds are far, penguins will feed in seal holes and other openings in the ice.
Penguins feed on fish, cuttlefish, crustaceans, and other small sea animals.
In captivity the king and emperor penguins normally do not learn to pick up their own food,and after they have been taught to feed by strenuous forced feeding they must be fed by hand each day.