Black Bear Spotted At Crowded Florida Beach, Video Goes Viral

Picture yourself on a beautiful beach, accompanied by your loved ones, basking in the warm sunlight while the refreshing ocean waves crash nearby. Suddenly, something catches your eye and an astonishing sight unfolds before you. As shocking as it may sound, a wild black bear emerges from the water, gracefully swimming in the ocean. This extraordinary scene unfolded on the weekend of June 11, 2023, at a Gulf Coast beach in the city of Destin, Florida. The locals, taken aback by this unexpected encounter, could hardly believe their eyes.

Several videos and pictures of the black bear enjoying a swim in the ocean have been shared on social media, leaving internet users surprised and confused at the same time. The incident which came as an absolutely unexpected sight for the locals has already created a buzz on social media.

In one of the videos shared by a Twitter user, the black bear can be seen swimming far from the shore. In another one, the animal, after being surrounded by the crowd, was seen escaping to safety.

"Bruh why tf is there a bear at the beach in Florida." the caption of the video read. 

Watch:

Bruh why tf is there a bear at the beach in Florida _ pic.twitter.com/dYjPDAE9NR — Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) June 11, 2023

The video sparked a flurry of reactions from social media users, with comments such as "He’s on vacation" and "Bros just trying cool off.” Others took a more humorous approach, suggesting matchups like "Cocaine Bear vs JAWS" instead of the classic King Kong vs Godzilla. Some defended the bear's choice to take a refreshing swim, with one user saying, “Buddy said he hot af too & wanted to go for a swim. Quit hating.”

While it is not clear how the bear got into the waters, locals were in a state of disbelief as many didn't realise at first glance that the animal was actually a bear.

Wildlife Officials Speak On Bear Sighting In Florida

At a time when many have claimed that spotting black bears in Florida has become a common sight, wildlife officials have also commented on the same, stating that young bears often wander off in search of a new home or food.

As reported by the New York Post, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued a statement noting that it is very unusual to spot an adult bear swimming in the shallow waters of a crowded beach.

“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 to barrier islands in search of food," a part of the statement read.