Young Florida black bear swims to Florida beach "from way out in the ocean"

A busy Florida beach had a strange and surprising creature wash up on its shore on Sunday – a young, small black bear. 

"A bear just swam from way out in the ocean to shore in Destin," one witness tweeted who took a now-viral video of the moment the animal arrived. "Insane." 

The witness, Chris Barron, said many beach-goers thought the animal was a dog when they first saw it out in the Gulf of Mexico. When it finally got to shore, Barron said it "took off into the sand dunes." 

"I think most people were shocked instead of being scared," Barron told Storyful, adding that the bear had been swimming right next to his brother and 12-year-old son. "No one expected to see a bear in the Gulf of Mexico." 

A spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told CBS News it's aware of the incident. 

"While it is unusual to see a bear swimming in the shallows of a crowded beach, it isn't unusual to hear of black bears swimming in the Gulf, on their way back to barrier islands in search of food," they said. "During this time of year, juvenile bears such as the one seen in Destin are starting to leave their mother's home range and may be seen in unexpected areas as they try to find a new home."

The department previously said that most bears venture out between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old. 

"Seeing a bear in a neighborhood is not necessarily cause for alarm," the department told CBS News. "However, it is important that residents secure food attractants so that bears do not linger in the area. If a bear is not able to find food, it will move on."

Aside from the beach in Destin, young bears have also recently been spotted in Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, Florida Fish and Wildlife said. The animals aren't naturally aggressive, but they could "become defensive" if they feel threatened, the department said, warning people not to disturb young bears or any other wild animal. 

"The most important thing people can do to help these bears is to leave them alone," Mike Orlando, FWC's bear management program coordinator, said. "Give them plenty of space and let them move along on their own." 

In:
• Black Bear
• Gulf of Mexico
• Bear
• Florida

Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.