Are Elephants Fast
“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.
Calves will suck water into their trunks and spray each other playfully. Elephants also love to cool themselves by having a mud bath. They will scoop wet soil from the bottom of a lake or the river and spray it on to their body to get respite from heat. Despite being that heavy, elephants can swim. Actually, all species of elephants are great swimmers.
Rajan was probably the last ocean-swimming elephant we’ll ever see, which gives the image extra poignancy. As logging bans have increased, using elephants for logging has significantly diminished. I think it still happens in some Asian countries, but it’s a practice that’s thankfully fading. Elephants don’t sink easily and if they do decide to dive, they use their trunks to get air when submerged. They use all four legs to swim, and they can stay in the water for hours before getting tired. With this in mind, swimming is one of the fun activities that elephants engage in.
The diaphragm of an elephant is typically $3.0 mathrm$ thick and $120 mathrm$ in diameter. If the elephant were to snorkel in saltwater, which is more dense than freshwater, would the maximum depth at which it could snorkel be different from the depth in freshwater? Yes; that depth would increase because there is less pressure at a given depth in saltwater than in freshwater. Yes; that depth would decrease because there is greater pressure at a given depth in saltwater than in freshwater. No, because pressure differences within the submerged elephant depend only on the density of air, not on the density of the water.
Males who have left the family unit will either live temporarily with other males, or may just be alone for the rest of their lives. Even after pursuing and selecting a female mate, a male elephant will then resume his predominantly nomadic and solitary life, to roam alone. The size of the herd will depend entirely on the size of the family and the terrain they have chosen to live on.
If 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.
Although the calf will eventually gain full control of its trunk, it won’t happen until it is several months old. It takes calves time to learn to elephant swimming video use them, and at first they often tread on their own trunks. Elephants are the strongest animals alive, and can lift up to 770 pounds with their trunks.
Baby elephant swimming and playing in the water is a sight that has to cheer you up. In conclusion, elephants are great swimmers and their abilities should not be underestimated. Elephants typically swim for short distances though, but they are capable of swimming for long periods of time or longer distances if necessary. As mentioned, however, keep its strong trunk raised above the water and use it as a sort of snorkel to allow it to breathe even while the rest of its body remains in the water. Hailey Pruett is a freelance content writer, editor, and lifelong animal lover living in Tennessee with their spoiled cat, grumpy leopard gecko, and loving partner. Their favorite animals are lizards, turtles, snakes, and frogs.
Granted, elephants aren’t very deep divers, though they can hold their breath for a few minutes or so in dire circumstances. They strongly prefer to keep their trunks above water as much as possible, and they don’t have much of a reason to swim deep underwater anyway. So, although they can technically swim with their bodies completely underwater, elephants tend to stay at depths of only a foot or two underwater. Swimming is a surprising pastime for many elephants, especially among babies and juveniles!