Farewell to the World's Biggest Snorkeler

Mark Strickland · Issue 93, Nov/Dec 2016 · pp. 69

Products mentioned: Nikon D200, Seacam housing

Parting Shot 1 Rajan, India’s famous swimming elephant, recently passed away at the ripe old age of 66. Widely celebrated for his willingness to pose for photographers while swimming in the clear waters of the Andaman Islands, this gentle giant was born in southern India around 1950, then brought to the remote Andamans as a young adult to labor in the logging industry. His life was not easy, but Rajan did find time for romance, eventually meeting a female with whom he was clearly smitten. Relationships between the sexes are typically fleeting affairs with elephants, but their case must have been an exception, as the two were seen together frequently over the years. The female was an avid swimmer, and Rajan soon followed suit, often joining her for a refreshing dip in the sea after work. Swimming was also something of a job requirement, as the logging companies occasionally swam their ele…