An Atlantic Puffin proudly displaying its bounty during my Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop in Quebec.
Puffins swim underwater using their semi-extended wings as paddles to "fly" through the water and their feet as a rudder. It swims fast and can reach considerable depths and stay submerged for up to a minute. It fishes by sight and can swallow small fish while submerged, but larger specimens are brought to the surface. It can catch several small fish in one dive, holding the first ones in place in its beak with its muscular, grooved tongue while it catches others. The two mandibles are hinged in such a way that they can be held parallel to hold a row of fish in place and these are also retained by inward-facing serrations on the edges of the beak.