The hippopotamus has a peculiar temperament. During the day, it enjoys soaking its body in water for “napping.” At night, it becomes more active, coming ashore to raid crops such as grains, causing significant damage.
Hippopotamuses are adept swimmers, and diving is their specialty. They can lift their heads just enough to keep their nostrils, eyes, and ears above the water’s surface, appearing completely still submerged for several hours. This has led people to mistakenly believe they can stay underwater for long periods. In reality, hippos can only stay submerged for a maximum of about five minutes. As their diving time extends, they forcefully exhale through their enlarged nostrils when surfacing, often creating a misty spray effect known locally as “hippo spray.”
What’s more intriguing is that hippos have special “covers” on their nostrils, eyes, and ears to prevent water from entering when they dive. These amazing waterproof “covers” tightly seal their nostrils, eyes, and ears, ensuring not a drop of water gets in.