Video Captures Young Owl Swimming For Its Life In Canyon

A group of hikers were in a slot canyon in Lake Powell between Utah and Arizona when they stumbled across an unusual sight – a young owl swimming.

“At one point this owl was flying low,” the hikers said. But it must have landed accidentally in the water at which point they captured the bird swimming in front of them as they were making their way through the canyon. They shared their footage with National Geographic.

Getting its wings wet is not a good predicament for the young owl as owls are not water-buoyant and if their feathers get too wet they become water-logged and may drown.

Geoff LeBaron of The National Audubon Society told NatGeo that the young great horned owl was probably learning to fly and exploring its surroundings when it fell out of the nest on a cliff ledge. “This bird is young enough that the parents were probably still caring for it, so hopefully once the folks go by, the bird dried off and its parents found it,” he said.

Something similar recently occurred to a bald eagle. Emmett Blois was out river rafting when he and his friends spotted a bald eagle in trouble.

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