Moose Are One Of The Last Species You’d Expect To Be Swimming For Their Supper Every Fall

Moose are the largest members of the deer family, with an appetite to match. Each animal needs to eat about 25 kilograms of plants a day, which can become challenging as Canada’s short summers come to an end.

Fortunately, moose are adept swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for a full minute. Their large nostrils act as valves to keep water out as they dive up to six metres.

When colder weather comes they feast on underwater plants that are out of reach for other species. Aquatic plants are higher in minerals and nutrients than land plants, making them a perfect source of food to fatten up as winter approaches.

But filming this scene was challenging for The Wild Canadian Year filmmakers. How would they find the perfect spot to place their remote camera to capture shots underwater before the moose arrived?  Director Jeff Morales says, “For many days we had to carefully observe what parts of the lakes the moose favoured, what plants they liked the most and where the thickest patches were. Even then we needed a healthy dose of luck, and just hoped that a moose would choose to walk right by the spot that we’d picked.”

Assistant Hugo Kitching, who had already spent a year following moose at Jasper National Park filming Moose: A Year in the Life of a Twig Eater, was the resident expert.

"One time, a large bull moose knocked the tripod over underwater. That was not great," Kitching said. "But after trying again and again over many weeks, we finally hit the jackpot!”

Click play on the video above to watch.