Despite their size, elephants are natural-born swimmers.
They use their massive legs like paddles, keeping a steady rhythm that lets them glide through water for miles. In fact, they’ve been observed swimming up to 20 miles in a single day — farther than most humans could manage even with training.
Even cooler? Their trunks double as snorkels.
When the water gets deep, elephants simply raise their trunks above the surface and keep paddling. It’s like nature handed them their own built-in scuba gear.
In the wild, elephants will cross rivers and even open ocean to migrate or search for food. Some island-hopping elephants in Asia have been seen swimming for hours to reach new territory.
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