The body of the dunsenn was essentially an enormous balloon, enabling it to float in the air. It ingested water through its gills and drove itself forward by expelling air out through specialized funnels. Once airborne, it propelled itself with its strong rudder tail and navigated with a number of large, feather-like fins. The front lateral fins could also launch cold jets of water that served to lower the dunsenn's body temperature while floating in the hot sun.