If you toss a stone into the water, you probably already know what will happen to it. In fact, anything with a higher density than that of water will sink.
You’ve undoubtedly already realized that you, yourself, will sink if you don’t put in the effort to swim and exert yourself in order to stay afloat.
But regardless of us humans, some of the animals also float on water. So, let’s discuss them all.
What animal float on water?
Here is the list of animals that can float on water:
- Tortoises
- Peacocks
- Ducks
- Hippopotamus
- Ants
- Porcupines
- Worms
- Planktons
- Blobfish
- Dolphin
- Lice
- Whales
- Fleas
Here is a detailed list of some of the animals that are able to float on water.
List of animals/creatures that float on water
Tortoises
Tortoises may appear much like turtles, yet unlike turtles, tortoises don’t swim at all. Tortoise can only float on the water, hoping it eventually lands on dry land.
Tortoises have short, stumpy legs that are bent at the knees, much like elephants’ feet. Turtles, on the other hand, have flippers for feet. The bulky, dome-shaped shell of the tortoise does not do well in the water either.
Although the tortoise’s hard shell prevents it from swimming well, the ancient Romans admired it as an example of a robust and portable type of defense because of its versatility.
Peacocks
Peacocks are often regarded as among the most stunning birds in the animal kingdom. Even while their long, glossy feathers are likely their most recognizable trait, they are entirely worthless when it comes to swimming.
Peacocks, in contrast to swans and geese, do not have webbed feet on their feet. Instead, they are made up of four independent toes, which allow them to only float on water. They are able to stay afloat since their weight is comparable to that of a big duck. Peacocks generally do not like water and would avoid it even if it is raining.
Ducks
Ducks are able to swim quite well and can stay afloat by bobbing their heads up and down in the ocean. This is because the feathers covering the body of the duck are water resistant, which guarantees that water glides off the back of the duck. The barbs on a duck’s feathers help it float because they hook onto one another.
This results in the formation of minute air bubbles inside the feathers, increasing the bird’s buoyancy. However, it is the plumage on the duck’s body that allow it to stay afloat. The webbed feet of the bird also assist it in paddling forward, but the feathers on its body allow it to float.
The same buoyancy that allows the duck to swim and keeps the bird from drowning also causes it to bob up and down in the water.
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus, considered Africa’s most deadly mammal, is really incapable of swimming.
It might be challenging to accept that hippos cannot swim because they are frequently observed in the water. Regardless of swimming, they just float below the surface. Engaging in behavior that resembles bouncing!
Hippopotamuses are unable to swim because of the extraordinarily solid bones that make up their bodies; this prevents them from living in aquatic environments.
Hippos have extensive coats of buoyant fat that surround their solid bones, allowing them to float on the surface of the water for a limited length of time.
Hippopotamuses take several deep breaths before beginning their descent to the bottom of a river or lake.
Ants
Ants are remarkable creatures because they have the ability to cooperate in order to live.
If an ant somehow manages to fall into any body of water, it will have a terrible time surviving. Ants aren’t very adept swimmers, and when they’re on their own, they could have a hard time getting themselves to safety. The ant will eventually drown and sink to the bottom.
However, if multiple ants of the same type fall into the same body of water simultaneously, the colony may float on the water’s surface for a considerable amount of time.
Because they are able to link their bodies together to build a raft that will assist them in remaining afloat, ants are able to safeguard the survival of not only one of their type but of all of the other ants who have dropped into the water.
The ability of the ants to join their bodies together enables them to expand the available surface area, which in turn assists the insects in remaining afloat.
In this manner, the ants are able to maintain their buoyancy and last for not just a few hours but for many days.
Porcupines
The whole body of a porcupine is covered with spiky quills, which gives the animal its distinctive appearance.
The only time you’ll see a porcupine enter the water is if it’s their only remaining option. Even if they don’t know how to swim, they can stay afloat because of the hollow quills on their bodies, which have precisely the right amount of buoyancy.
If porcupines had no hollow quills, they could not survive in the water.
Although porcupines won’t make the cut for the mammalian swim team, they excel when it comes to climbing.
Worms
Worms can be seen floating on the surface of the water, and if you are a frequent swimmer who enjoys swimming in natural lakes or streams or who swims in open-air pools, you have probably noticed this phenomenon.
Earthworms and other kinds of worms can stay afloat on the water’s surface for an extended period of time since they do not sink very rapidly.
There are times when these worms serve as food for fish, and you may observe fish swimming up to consume them when they are available.
Planktons
The animal kingdom is home to various organisms that float in specific environments, and plankton is among them.
These microorganisms can be discovered in freshwater as well as saltwater environments. As a result of their inability to swim against the flow of the water, these creatures are known as free-floating or wandering organisms.
Plankton can float on water because their bodies are flattened, and they contain spikes, both of which assist them in distributing their weight across a broad surface area.
Due to the fact that planktons are so little, you will notice that they move together in groups and that you will most commonly see them floating on the water’s surface.
It is possible for plankton to migrate vertically at times; however, this occurs more frequently in bodies of water like lakes and rivers.
Planktons are able to float effortlessly due to the fact that these organisms have a significantly higher surface area in comparison to the total volume of their colony.
Blobfish
Blobfish have caused a debate on the internet as to whether it is the prettiest marine creature we have or the ugliest species on the earth; nonetheless, all sides are in agreement that this fish lives up to its title and that it is not very attractive.
The blobby appearance of blobfish can be attributed to the fact that they do not possess any muscle.
They are not susceptible to being squashed by the pressure of the deep sea since they do not have any density at all.
Instead of having a swim bladder like any other bony fish, they float by taking advantage of the pressure created by the water around them.
The swim bladders of fish are often filled with the oil of some kind in order to keep the fish floating under the water.
Dolphins
The skin of a dolphin is smooth, and it has flippers and a dorsal fin. Their bodies are streamlined, and their snouts are long and slender, with approximately one hundred teeth each.
Dolphins have a single blowhole on the top of their head, which is covered by a flap that, when opened, exposes a pair of nostrils that are used for breathing while the animal is at the surface.
Dolphins are more buoyant than humans. It is because of the structure of their bones and bodies, as well as their capacity to store more oxygen in their bodies than we can. This allows them to float better in water.
They do not become immersed when they are sleeping. They do not float on the surface of the water but instead around ten inches (or twenty-five cm) below it.
Lice
Lice are among the most problematic issues that a youngster might have to deal with at any point in their life. If you were a youngster who enjoyed swimming but had head lice at any point in your life, you were required to miss sessions until you were completely cured of the condition.
The primary explanation behind this is that lice can float on the water for a significant amount of time.
Even though lice on an infected person’s head cannot spread the disease to another person, the water in the pool can still become contaminated by their presence.
In addition to that, lice are immune to chlorine’s killing effects. Lice can float on water and hold their breath for anywhere from 4–6 hours at a time.
Whales
Whales have massive bodies, yet their bodies are aerodynamic such that they can swim effectively despite their size.
A whale has a layer of fat known as blubber. Blubber covers the entire body below the skin. Also, due to blubber, whales are able to endure harsh environments such as water that is extremely cold or very deep.
When compared to the fat present in other animals, blubber has a far greater thickness. Because blubber is less thick than the waters that whales swim in, it provides the creatures with buoyancy and assists them in floating. This is comparable to the way that wetsuits are employed for activities like surfing and diving.
Fleas
Fleas are able to swim on top of the water because to surface tension. They float effortlessly, much like mosquitoes.
Due to their capacity to float, fleas have an advantage when moving forward on the water. Fleas, however, are unable to swim. It is impossible to save a flea that has been drowned in water.
If you try to drive a flea into the water, it will use surface tension to assist it in getting away the first few times, much like mosquitoes do.
If a flea is floating on water and detects that it is in danger, it will immediately leap off the water and go to a safer location.
For a flea, the water does not provide any kind of sanctuary or protected environment. Fleas are only able to stand or float on water when it is required for them to do so. As soon as it becomes aware of any potential threat, it will flee the area and make itself safe.
Conclusion
Floating is an ability shared by a variety of creatures, and for some of those animals, it is required for life. Some animals that float on the water include Tortoises, Peacocks, Ducks, Hippopotamus, Ants, Porcupines, Worm, Planktons, Blobfish, dolphins, Lice, Whales and Fleas.