Here’s the physics of why ducklings swim in a row behind their mother
By paddling in just the right spots, ducklings save energy by surfing their mom’s waves
![mallard ducklings swimming behind a mother duck](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/101421_EC_duck-physics_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
Many ducklings, such as these mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) trail their mothers in orderly lines. Such an arrangement gives the little ones a boost from the waves stirred up by their mother.
Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Getty Images Plus