If you’ve ever been on a cruise, you’ve probably seen towel origami। The stewards or cleaning crew take a large bath towel and fold it into fun shapes (typically animals), and sometimes accessorize it to look more realistic.

On some cruises, towel creations are often a bit rushed and shoddy, but I thought these animals were atypically great.

These have been around for hundreds of years, but Carnival Cruise Lines has been credited for making them popular again (they even sell a how-to book).

What has always amazed me is that they’re all created from a single towel.

OK, quick … what is the first thing you think of when you see this picture:

A Ninja, right? It’s supposed to be a monkey, but I like the idea of cleaning crews toiling away folding up Ninjas a lot better.

An elephant. wow, amazing isn't it?

If you want to learn how to make your own, here is Royal Carribean’s Towel Folding How-to (for non-commercial use only)।