Page 142 - (DK) I Can’t Believe It! 2

140
What is

the fastest

swimmer?

The speediest swimmer, the

sailfish, could travel the
length of an Olympic
swimming pool in

1.6 seconds—around
13 times faster than

the human record holder.

FAST FACTS

Sailfish Dall’s porpoise
68 mph (110 kph) 35 mph (56 kph)
Striped marlin California sea lion
50 mph (80 kph) 25 mph (40 kph)
Blue-fin tuna Octopus
44 mph (71 kph) 25 mph (40 kph)
Blue shark Gentoo penguin
43 mph (69 kph) 22 mph (36 kph)
Swordfish Leatherback turtle
40 mph (64 kph) 21.5 mph (35 kph)
The fastest swimmers are all fish. Some other sea animals swim fast.
At the top is the sailfish, which is an However, all are slower than the top five
amazing 18.5 mph (30 kph) quicker fastest fish, which have perfectly streamlined
than its nearest rival, the striped marlin. bodies with powerful muscles built for speed.

US_140_141_309600_ICBT_Fastest_Swimmers.indd 140 19/12/17 2:36 pm