Alyssa Hewlett and a man were boating off the coast of Nipper’s Harbour in Newfoundland, Canada, when they spotted a moose on the cliff’s edge.
The moose in the video she shot is looking down at the water, as if attempting to find his footing on the jagged rocks. “He wants to jump!” cries Hewlett’s partner.
A few seconds later, the moose dives head first into the ocean!
It’s not a smooth drop into the water, but rather a thud that causes the woman to exclaim, “Oh no! “Has he left?”
To their surprise (and relief), the moose’s head appears above the water and he begins to paddle towards shore.
Fortunately, a professional moose biologist certifies that the moose was not in grave danger.
“The moose probably wandered down the cliff-side but couldn’t get back up,” Dr. Ronald Moen, a biology professor at the University of Minnesota (and recipient of the 2016 Distinguished Moose Biologist Award), told Mashable. Although there didn’t appear to be much food present, it was possible that it was foraging. Moose are great swimmers, and given how calm the water was, it could have found a way back on land.”
Moose are not only excellent swimmers, but they can also hold their breath for a whole minute underwater. They have noses that operate as valves to keep water out, which is useful while grazing on underwater vegetation in lakes and rivers, as they frequently do. They can also dive nearly 20 feet (6 metres) beneath water! This moose apparently missed the memo and began diving through the air!
Leave a Reply