If one thing is true in the natural order of things in the Finger Lakes, it’s this: Canandaigua Lake never ceases to amaze.
A video taken by Bill Gee shows what appears to be a deer swimming east to west toward Skenoh Island in Canandaigua Lake, its head just above calm blue water on a sunny spring day. And by the looks of it, the deer seems to have not quite doggy paddled but deer paddled a long enough distance that might make Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps call it quits and hitch a boat ride.
Gee’s video, along with a photo that appears to show a deer on the island taken by a “kind lady” who shared it with Gee, was posted April 22 to the Canandaigua Chronicles Facebook page. And the likes, shares and comments ensued.
Gee and several others who happened to be gathered that day on Canandaigua’s City Pier witnessed something that may not be all that unusual in nature, except to some it’s a thrilling eye-opener. Who knew that deer can swim? Well, those who saw it now do.
“I wish I had an exciting story to tell, but the deer was the star and the story maker,” Gee said in an email.
Yes, deer can swim
According to state Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman Lori Severino, white-tailed deer are excellent swimmers. In fact, the deer can reach speeds of up to 15 mph in the water, using their powerful hind legs to help propel them.
“They will often cross lakes and rivers in search of food, or to get away from predators and can even occasionally be seen swimming in the ocean,” Severino said.
The natural wonder that is Canandaigua Lake
Canandaigua Lake has been good to Gee and his camera.
This past March, Gee said he was fortunate enough to see a large flock of snow geese, which he also recorded and posted to the Chronicles page. The geese, Gee said, “seem to be flying to the music of my radio.”
But Gee said he is blown away with the number of responses coming his way about the swimming deer. Perhaps those who reached out to him were also blown away.
Like an old friend, the lake is a source for fun, whether swimming, boating or enjoying a lake-favorite Blue Whale cocktail on its shores. It’s big business for the Finger Lakes region, too, the engine driving the local economy.
Sometimes forgotten when the clock strikes lake time, humans don’t own the lake; they share it.
Folks take in the scenery, spring, summer, fall and winter, and marvel at what they see on the lake while wondering what swims beneath the surface. Sometimes, this old friend suffers a serious health woe, such as regular outbreaks of blue-green algae, that serves as a reminder that the lake, like an old friend, requires TLC from the young and those who guide and inform them.
Sometimes, the reward is a magic moment — or two, in Gee’s case.
“Both seeing the snow geese and the deer was a treat offered to me by being on the pier at the right time and Mother Nature,” Gee said.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. He can be reached at mmurphy@messengerpostmedia.com. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Watch: Deer spotted swimming across Canandaigua Lake stuns onlookers
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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