The Swimming Orangutan

King of the swimmers: How orangutan Suryia loves a summer dip with his trainer

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 3:31 PM on 25th June 2010

When people talk about getting an all-over tan for summer, they're not usually talking about getting an all-over orangutan. But 30-year-old Moksha Bybee has the most unusual of swimming partners - a seven-year-old urangutan who clings to her as she dives beneath the surface.

The jungle-dwelling creatures are not known for their love of the water, but Suryia appears to have permanently swapped tree trunks for swimming trunks.

Last one in's a chimp: Suryia, a seven-year-old urangutan, has taken a shine to diving into a pool with bikini-clad trainer Moksha Bybee at at Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina

Smiles all round: Moksha and Suryia smile for the underwater camera, and Suryia even manages a wave

And Mrs Bybee says it's virtually impossible to keep Suryia from the pool on a nice day. The two make an unusual sight as they lark about at the Myrtle Beach Safari park in South Carolina. Mrs Bybee said that Suryia spent only three weeks learning how to swim and now can't get enough of his new skill. Staff introduced Suryia to their 67ft pool after they noticed he had an unusual love for splashing around in the bath.

Woohoo! With his hair streaming back as Moksha swims through the water, Suryia certainly looks like he's having a whale of a time in the safari park pool

Swimming buddies: Moksha says Suryia only took three weeks to learn how to swim, and can now paddle up to 20ft unaided - having come up with a unique 'Borneo Crawl'

She said: 'Suryia's learning curve has been incredible. His favourite thing is to dive into the water on my back. When I surface he pulls at me almost to say, "Again, again".'

And he's not just a dab hand at diving - Suryia is able to swim up to 20 feet unaided using his rudimentary 'Borneo crawl'. Staff at the park believe that the plucky seven-year-old is the world's first aquatic orangutan.

Jacuzzi anyone? Staff at the Myrtle Beach Safari believe that Suryia might be the world's first aquatic orangutan. If nothing else, he's been working on his poolside manner

An email received July 2010