Can Moose Swim?
Considering a moose’s massive size and gangly movements, you may be amazed to learn that moose are exceptional swimmers. They can swim fast, dive well, and possess great strength and endurance when it comes to swimming as well. Moose have been clocked at a swimming speed of six miles per hour and have been observed swimming up to two hours at one time.
How Fast Can Moose Swim?
Moose can swim up to 6 MPH. This is incredibly fast for such a large animal when you consider that the average human swims at an average speed of 2 MPH. In fact, a trained swimmer in peak physical condition averages a swimming speed of 4 MPH.
The swimming speed of a moose rivals the fastest human swimmer of all time to date, American swimmer Mark Phelps who holds 23 Olympic gold medals. ESPN clocks his record-breaking swimming speed at 6 MPH.
Moose Are Good Divers as Well
Moose have been observed diving to depths of twenty feet and remaining submerged below the surface of the water for more than one minute. This is a helpful talent when considering a moose’s diet.
Moose love to feed on aquatic vegetation and will spend most of the day during the warmer months diving below the water to pull up the plants, such as water lily and pondweed, from the depths below. In addition to their diet of woody vegetation, aquatic plants are an important part of a moose’s diet as these plants have a higher sodium content. A single moose requires more than 40 pounds of food daily, which explains why a moose spends much of the day eating!
Moose Can Swim Great Distances
As well as being super fast swimmers, moose are also endurance swimmers. It is estimated that a moose can swim at 6 MPH and maintain that speed for several hours. They are known to travel by swimming to distances of twelve or more miles. Some estimates clock the moose swimming up to 10 hours at a time.
Moose Swim for Comfort as Well
Moose generally live in forested areas with cold winters and prefer the moist conditions offered by areas with lakes, ponds, and streams. Because moose do not sweat, they cannot tolerate regions where temperatures rise consistently above 75 degrees. When the weather becomes warmer, moose flock to their favorite swimming hole to cool off.
Resources
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology – “Alces Americanos – Moose.”
- Reference.com – “What Is the Average Human Swimming Speed?”
- Newsweek – “Shark Week 2017 Will See Mark Phelps Race a Great White – Because Why Not?”
- US Forest Service – “Moose: derived from Algonquin “Moosewa”: Eater of Twigs.”
- EduScapes – “Moose (Alces alces).”
- Suny College of Environmental Science and Forestry – “Moose.”
