Swimming

Dinofossil

I noticed a big plot point was the dinosaurs can't swim. In the book Ellie specifically thinks that the raptors can swim (and is immediately proven correct) and the T-rex swam down the river. So why is it they can't swim in the game?

bloodkiller630

because, i dont know if they could have swam or not, t-rex in water swimming, i dont see it, how could it swim with its puny arms? Unless they swim just like godzilla

TheSniper9

I think the point they were trying to make in the game is that non of the animals would be able to swim all the way to the mainland, not that they could not swim all together.

tope1983

Dinofossil wrote: »

I noticed a big plot point was the dinosaurs can't swim. In the book Ellie specifically thinks that the raptors can swim (and is immediately proven correct) and the T-rex swam down the river. So why is it they can't swim in the game?

Actually the T-Rex didn't really swim in the novel. Grant wasn't sure if he knows anything about the dinosaur's ability to swim.
But then it turned out that the tyrannosaur was walking in the lagoon and just the upper part of its head and the spikes along the back and tail were visible.
It reminded Grant of a crocodile.

As most of the animals are able to swim it should be very likely that dinosaurs could swim too. But the point in the game was clearly the distance.

Dinofossil

tope1983 wrote: »

Actually the T-Rex didn't really swim in the novel. Grant wasn't sure if he knows anything about the dinosaur's ability to swim.
But then it turned out that the tyrannosaur was walking in the lagoon and just the upper part of its head and the spikes along the back and tail were visible.
It reminded Grant of a crocodile.

As most of the animals are able to swim it should be very likely that dinosaurs could swim too. But the point in the game was clearly the distance.

Yeah, he distance may have been key, but they never chased into the water. I doubt a rex would stop for a couple feet.

Emo Hoe

I don't even recall the raptors swimming in the books, running/wading through water yes, but actually swimming? Can't say I recall that.

But yeah as pointed out in-game the specifics was they can't swim far enough to reach the mainland, assuming they can swim at all.

TB3

Google Earth informs me that the Pacific Ocean between Isla Nublar and Costa Rica reaches depths of over three kilometers in places. Combined with Sorkin's valid points of weather, currents and endurance, the only way any animal from the islands is going to swim to the mainland is if its willing to arrive in a condition similar to Levine's mystery sample from TLW novel - dead and washed up on a beach.

And that's also assuming the animals know which direction is the shortest route to land. Travelling any direction other than west or due north is just going to lead them out into (to quote Trespasser) tractless ocean extending all the way down to Anarctica.

That said, Lauren was still in the wrong to bypass the Lysine Contingency, which was intended as an absolute worst case scenario countermeasure (say, dinos stowing away on a boat), and its completely reasonable in that context.

Maniac536

I'm not too concerned about them being able to swim. This is a far more likely scenario.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyGMiwOGBfM&feature=youtube_gdata_player