What Can Elephants Do
“They can swim and cross rivers without any problem,” Surendra Varma, senior scientist at the Bangalore-based Asian Nature Conservation Foundation, said. However, he noted that since most live in forested or mountainous areas, this skill isn’t really displayed to the extent it is in these islands. It’s surreal to swim with an elephant, especially in tropical blue water. I remember thinking, “Wow, this is crazy that I’m here witnessing this.” Often, Rajan was in shallower areas. But I really hoped to get a photo of him swimming weightlessly in deeper water, his legs kicking freely, in doggy paddle motion. It all came down to whatever mood Rajan was in.
This can’t be further from the truth. Elephants are great swimmers, and they love water. Unfortunately, bad things can happen, and nature can be cruel.
Their swimming style is quite interesting as well. Shortly after moving to Udhagamandalam in southern India I learned that elephants were brought to the Andaman archipelago for logging. Male elephants were put on some islands and females on other islands. When the males went into musth, pulled by nature’s call, they would swim to the islands with the female elephants. In India the elephants keepers are known as mahouts.
It was not a small pond but a big lake. We were wondering as to what he was up to. Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning. In 1883, bringing elephants over from the mainland to help with timber extraction. Not only was the elephant video adorable, but my mental image of a sloth trying to jump was quite entertaining as well.
On the day I took this photo, I was with him on one of his longer swims and I used a weight belt to freedive down to get the angle I wanted. He’d totally immerse himself and use his trunk like a snorkel, which was so cool. Every morning, Rajan would go into the jungle or walk down to the beach. He went swimming whenever he felt like it. He seemed to have adapted to swimming in salt water and even to enjoy it.
If elephant swimming in water you run, the elephant will be more likely to chase you. The sea faring elephants of the Andamans and Sri Lanka are very well known. Legends like the elephant named Rajan, of the Andamans, was featured in a Hollywood movie too. However, I had not been lucky enough to see one actually swim, until this March, in Kaziranga, when I was a first hand witness to that. He felt so comfortable with Nazroo and didn’t want to be far from him.
Elephants can sleep standing up and only need a couple of hours of sleep each day. When on the move, a heard of elephants often walk in single file. Elephants are the largest living land animals on earth. Elephants are known for their trunks, which are actually a long nose used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and also for picking up things, like a meal. 3D Illustration of a elephant is surfing the sea as a symbol of...
True or False, the elephant’s trunk is part of its leg. Every now and then he would surface and throw out a jet of water. The trunk was like a snorkel, sticking out of the water, taking in the air to help him breathe. He was spurting out water through his trunk every now and then like a fountain. I’ve had incredible experiences as a photographer. I think it’s important to share those experiences to encourage and inspire people to get out of their comfort zone and have their own adventures.
Elephants use their trunks as a snorkel to breathe underwater. This allows them to swim for long periods of time without needing to completely emerge from the water. Despite its massive size, an elephant’s body has more than enough buoyancy to stay afloat even if they aren’t actively swimming. Similar to humans and many other species of mammals, they can simply stop swimming and allow their bodies to float just above the surface if they get tired. One of the first concerns that may come to mind while contemplating elephant swimming abilities is why they need to swim in the first place. Some people believe elephants swim in order to get better food and water.