submarine goslings!

[pinkyglory123]

I have been walking the six ?african? goslings and three Harlequin ducklings down to our pond-probably three times now. Tickled pink with the stram but not so eager to go into the deep pond. Well today was the first day the goslings went in=at least two of them and they dove under water and swam around like otters? Then seemingly invigorated burst from the pond at a run and scared the other goslings on the edge-and thus themselves. Both did it, not just one, and the ducklings do it too. Is this just water play? At first I thought I would have to perform a water rescue but I think they were doing it on purpose and not sinking. Anyone else see this? Honestly we were holding on to each other laughing. Once we realized they were not drowning. They were so tired afterwards I swear I am not making this up=one of the ducks was SNORING.

 

[Hillbilly_Curt]

I have an adult African that loves submarining. She dives, and then swims about 10 feet across, underwater. She loves it.

 

[Goosehaven]

They LOVE to dive and you will find once they know they can do that in the deep part thats one of the first things they will do when you take them down. Each year my gosliongs get so excited when I let them out on the lake for a swim

 

[gryeyes]

I got a 300 gallon stock tank to use as a pool for my ducks, because they "needed" a pool they could do their submarine swimming. They could do it in the kiddie pool whilst youngsters, but by the time they were full-sized they couldn't submarine any more. They'd try... for like 3 seconds and when that didn't work they had to be happy just floating on the top and splashing really big as much as often.

Submarine swimming is the coolest thing!

 

[The goose girl]

All my geese have done that, too. It's like they get so excited in the water they scare themselves, and then they run around in circles; screaming and flapping their wings.

 

[sourland]

It's a form of playing, and like many play activities of young animals, it is a practice for an escape maneuver. When attacked from above by aerial predators, immature and even adult waterfowl will dive to escape capture.

 

[pinkyglory123]

I have never seen anything like it and looks like pure joy. The ducklings duck their head and do a complete somersault. It is a scream to watch them. I just could not believe it the first time I saw it. Just hysterical. Hopefully they will soon learn they cannot submarine in an inch of water-they can sit in an inch of water-but not submarine.

 

[SouthernPride]

When our canadian gosling did it for the first time in the bathtub I thought that maybe she did not know how to swim like a goose. Then a canadian family visitied our pond and they were all doing it. The parents were showing them how. It was hilarious. Our canadian and chinese love to do this when we take them down to the pond, at first it was a little scary because they were so small.

 

[EAhearn05]

One of my goslings loves swimming under water too! It is so funny! The other one could care less about water and seems to panic when his feet don't touch bottom...I guess all geese are different

 

[Orange Ribbon]

I just had my first "submarine goose" today. We have 3 brown Africans about 3 weeks old. I have put them in the kiddie pool before and they just scrambled to get out of it. I put them in today and two of them still got out as quick as they could, but one of them started going 'round and 'round under the water. Man, she was fast. It was pretty cool to watch. I hope the other two will get where they like the water also.

I also have a bunch of chickens and 8 ducks, but the geese are my favorite birds of all.