Swan seen in ocean in Surfside Beach has found a mate. Video shows the swans together
Kimberly Cerimele had planned Tuesday to rescue a swan that had been hanging out in the ocean in Surfside Beach until she saw something she did not expect - the swan has found a mate.
Cerimele, the Myrtle Beach Wildlife Rescue executive director, said she had been getting calls for around a week about a mute swan that has been swimming in the Atlantic Ocean around Surfside Beach.
Seeing a swan in the ocean is unusual as mute swans typically hang out in retention ponds in neighborhoods.
Cerimele had a rescue mission setup Tuesday afternoon to get the swan out of the water and bring it back to freshwater. However, the rescue was stopped when she noticed a second bird had joined the first swan. She said the pair was showing typical mating behavior, which included swimming near each other and forming a heart with their heads.
“They seem happy, I guess, but it’s weird,” Cerimele said about the swan couple.
The swans seem to be doing OK, as Cerimele said she did not see any visible injuries on them. She will continue to monitor them.
Cerimele said she hopes the swans move toward a pond as the ocean is not a suitable habitat for the birds. The mute swans are not prepared for the high salt content in the ocean water.
Mute swans, who are native to Eurasia, tend to mate for life.
