# can elephants really swim?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-elephants-really-swim/23375>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 24, 2000, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-elephants-really-swim/23375 "2000-06-24T01:06:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-elephants-really-swim/23375/21 "2000-06-28T22:53:07Z")

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> [@](#):
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> \*\*  
> Yes, there WAS a commercial …\*\*

I must have been the only other one that remembered that commercial or didn’t think it was special effects. It was for diet coke I think and very imaginative and well done. A woman is lounging on a big float as the elephant swims near. It deposits a trunkfull of peanuts in exchange for the can of soda it swipes and swims away.

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**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-elephants-really-swim/23375/22 "2000-06-28T23:31:40Z")

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From yabob’s posted site above, the chimps hands might not be positionable for wimming either.

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**Author:** ![Sn-man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sn-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sn-man)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-elephants-really-swim/23375/23 "2000-06-28T23:35:19Z")

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They can swim just fine. Unfortunately, like white men, they can’t jump.

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**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-elephants-really-swim/23375/24 "2000-06-28T23:41:17Z")

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> [@](#):
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> an elephant is far lighter than an average cruise ship

LOL! Is there _any_ cruise ship that is lighter than an elephant? 🙂

(Wow, they really swim. Man, you learn the most amazing facts on this board.)

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**Author:** ![Fiona\_Firehair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fiona\_Firehair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiona_Firehair)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-elephants-really-swim/23375/25 "2000-06-29T05:26:25Z")

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Well, of course they swim! How else could they get to Tahiti?

(The question is: How well do they surf?)

😃

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**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-elephants-really-swim/23375/26 "2000-06-29T13:50:46Z")

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> [@](#):
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> **The closest living relatives to the two species of elephants are the sea cows, manatees, and their ilk.**

'Fraid not, **Chronos**. The closest living relative to the two species of elephant is the [hyrax](http://planetpets.simplenet.com/plnthyrx.htm). Seen this on a NG special on elephants and their brain structures, as well as a number of other sources.

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