Tourists at 'right place, right time' find emus swimming in WA river

A group of emus swimming in one of Western Australia's longest rivers has surprised tourists and locals alike. A video on social media that has garnered more than 5 million views shows the emus' long necks bobbing through the Murchison River as they swim to shore. Kalbarri Cruises owner Tracy Grosvenor, who took the video, said they were running a regular tour on the Murchison when they spotted the birds. "We were probably nearly at the turnaround point, and in the distance, we can see these little black shadows crossing the river, and we didn't know what they were," she said. "So, we quickly zoomed up and there were four emus fully swimming across the Murchison." The state's second largest river is about 800 kilometres long and home to hundreds of bird species. Ms Grosvenor and her husband Grant have run regular tours on the river for more than 14 years. She said while they have seen many emus along the river edge, it is the first time they have witnessed them swimming. "It was just right place, right time to capture it on footage." The odd sight also captured the delight of the group who were visiting the region. "Everyone was so excited. We all ran up the front and the boat sort of tipped nose down," Ms Grosvenor said. Many commenters on the video on Instagram and Facebook have been quick to point out the similarity of the scene to a popular Scottish folklore. "I know people have thought it's the Loch Ness Monster or swimming elephant trunks," Ms Grosvenor said. Geraldton-based wildlife carer and vet nurse Jaydene Bartley said swimming was actually quite common for the flightless birds. "These guys love going through the water and having a good bath," she said. "They have such heavy down underneath their feathers that it helps keep them cool throughout summer in particular and then aids in the cleaning for them." Ms Bartley said the behaviour was seen frequently in WA's north, where summer temperatures often hit 40 degrees Celsius. "However, it is seen throughout [the state] when there are puddles of water around," she said. Ms Bartley said emus were strong swimmers and used to crossing large bodies of water to find food when needed. "Their food is sparse throughout. They have to sort of be able to travel across the river to get food, particularly when it's warmer days like this."