The moose off the western shore of the Second Island, photographed from a respectful distance
It was a quiet afternoon during Staff Week when Taylor Clyde, ever vigilant and apparently overdue for an eye exam, spotted what he thought was an unusually large loon swimming toward the western shore of the Second Island.
“That’s no loon,” he quickly realized, as the creature’s long snout and perked ears came into focus. Taylor called out to Director Alex Toole, who sprinted to the scene, prepared to defend Pine Island from this mysterious invader. Fortunately, the uninvited guest had no interest in conflict. Instead, a moose calmly emerged from the water, took a short, dignified stroll across the Second Island as if inspecting our pre-camp progress, then slipped back into the lake and swam off toward the mainland, leaving a stunned audience of counselors in its wake.
We all stood there, jaws dropped, realizing that none of us had actually known moose could swim across open water, let alone do it so gracefully. But as we later learned, moose are excellent swimmers, capable of cruising at up to six miles per hour and covering several miles without breaking a sweat. They can even dive up to 15 feet underwater to nibble on aquatic plants! This one seemed perfectly at home in Great Pond, gliding between islands like it was out for a morning stroll. The encounter reminded us that even before the campers arrive, Pine Island never lacks for visitors—or surprises.
This article was originally published in the February 2026 edition of The Pine Needle.