Swimming is an essential skill for many animals, but many others never developed the ability–including some that spend most of their time in the water. Are you interested in learning more about these animals? Keep reading as we provide a top 10 list of animals that can’t swim.
What You'll Learn Today
1. Gorilla

Though gorillas are closely related to humans, they don’t share our swimming abilities. Thanks to their dense, heavy bodies, they lack the buoyancy necessary to swim.
Gorillas’ bodies have high muscle content and low fat content, which is what makes them so dense. They are incredibly strong but, since fat is necessary to be able to float, gorillas tend to sink in water.
Despite their inability to swim, gorillas will still sometimes wade into shallow water. They use sticks to gauge the water’s depth and ensure it isn’t too deep for them.
2. Giraffe
Giraffes are some of the tallest animals in the world, but they are unable to swim. In fact, it is their height and body design that makes swimming impossible for them.
Giraffes are rarely seen near water, so researchers had to get creative to determine whether they had swimming abilities. Using a mathematical model, they determined that a giraffe’s shoulders and forelimbs would pull it down in the water, forcing it to hold its head at an odd angle and eventually causing it to sink.
The study concluded that giraffes simply don’t have the body structure for swimming. Their necks and shoulders are too heavy thanks to all the extra weight necessitated by their tall size.
3. Hippopotamus

Hippopotamuses are rarely seen out of the water on hot days, but their enjoyment of lounging in the water does not translate to an ability to swim.
Hippos are far too heavy to float in the water, with the largest ones weighing in at almost 10,000 pounds. Their dense bones and muscular build are necessary to support such weight but entirely prevent buoyancy.
They can still use their incredibly heavy bodies and strong legs to move through the water, though. This makes it possible for them to lounge in shallow pools and mud holes without getting stuck.
Check out this video to learn more about hippos and their inability to swim:
4. Rhinoceros
Asian rhinoceroses are known for their swimming prowess, but the species found in Africa do not share this ability.
The black and white rhinos of Africa have larger and much denser bodies than their Asian relatives. They also have short legs that are basically useless for propelling them through the water.
Though African rhinos tend to avoid open water, they enjoy taking mud baths to cool off on hot days.
5. Prairie Dog
Prairie dogs hail from the grasslands of the open plains, where water may be present but not abundant. As such, they rarely venture close to open bodies of water.
Prairie dogs, like most animals on this list, simply aren’t built for swimming. They have stout, compact little bodies and very short legs that make movement through water dangerous and nearly impossible.
Not only do prairie dogs tend to avoid swimming; they have very little need for water in the first place. They consume most of the fluids they need through the plants in their diet.
6. Tortoise
Tortoises may look similar to turtles, but they have many differences. One of these is that, unlike a lot of turtle species, tortoises can’t swim.
Tortoise shells are generally heavier and more rounded than aquatic turtle shells, so they are not designed for efficient movement through water. What’s more, they lack flippers on their feet; their clawed toes are far better suited for walking across dry ground than for trying to swim.
While it’s possible for some tortoises to float for short periods of time, they tend to avoid going into deep water.
7. Armadillo

Armadillos are not designed for swimming, but they are not afraid to go into bodies of water if necessary.
Armadillos are covered in heavy, armor-like shells that cause them to sink. Even if they could float, their short, non-webbed feet and legs are not designed for paddling.
Instead of swimming across water, armadillos hold their breath and cross streams, rivers, and other bodies of water by walking along the bottom of them. They can hold their breath for up to six minutes.
8. Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees are another close relative of humans that are unable to swim. Their bodies are too heavy.
Like gorillas, chimps have higher levels of muscle and lower levels of fat, increasing their density. They also have proportionately larger upper bodies that make it challenging for them to remain upright in water.
Chimpanzees typically avoid large bodies of water to reduce the risk of drowning and to avoid encountering potential predators that may be lurking nearby.
9. Portuguese Man o’ War

The Portuguese man o’ war is an ocean creature that looks similar to a jellyfish. Despite spending its life in the water, it can’t swim.
Man o’ wars cannot relax or contract their muscles like jellyfish can, so they are unable to move on their own. Instead, they rely on ocean currents and wind to get them from one place to another.
To avoid all ending up in the same areas, these fascinating creatures have floats that lean either left or right. This ensures they are carried along in different directions according to the angle of their floats.
10. Parrot
Parrots are one of many birds of flight that cannot swim. They lack essential features that would make swimming possible.
Parrots don’t have webbed feet. Though their feet are designed for gripping branches and perching, these same design features prevent them from being able to paddle.
That said, parrots are lightweight and buoyant, so they are able to float in water, at least for short periods of time.
Conclusion
A wide variety of animals lack the physical adaptations to swim. These animals include hippopotamuses, giraffes, armadillos, gorillas, and tortoises.