A video of a bald eagle swimming to shore Saturday in Belcarra, B.C. has been shared widely, and it shows a seldom seen but regular part of an eagle's hunting lifestyle, says an expert.
The video was posted on Cheryl Papove's YouTube page and shows the bald eagle doing its signature breaststroke underneath Papove's dock before coming ashore on the rocks and waiting to dry off before flying away.
Martina Versteeg, raptor care supervisor at O.W.L., says bald eagles sometimes swim as part of their hunting routine.
"When they catch a really large fish and they just can't get lift off, it's pretty normal for them to swim to shore or a rock surface to get their bearings, maybe eat it, and go on their way," she told CTV.
The eagle in Papove's video didn't bring a catch to shore, so the fish likely got away.
Even though bald eagles are typically pictured in the sky, Versteeg says they're actually pretty good swimmers.
She has a practice pond for eagles at her raptor rehabilitation facility in Delta with trout they can catch. Often, she says, the eagles will practice swimming just for fun.
"They have really good waterproofing," she said. "They're really acclimatized to our coastal climate. They're more of a sea eagle than something like a hawk or a golden."
Bald eagles use oil from the preening gland at the base of their tail in order to waterproof their feathers. Versteeg says if you see an eagle rubbing its back, that's probably what it's doing.
Eagles aren't quite as versatile as Ospreys, Versteeg says, who can submerge, grab their prey and emerge flying from the water.
