WATCH: Bear Goes Swimming In The Water On Crowded Florida Beach

Beachgoers in Destin, Florida, were left stunned after a black bear decided to take a swim in the Gulf of Mexico. Several people captured videos of the bear as it played in the water.

"We had been watching him several minutes come in from out pretty far, "Chris Barron told CNN. "Most people didn't realize it was a bear."

Captain Frank Merrell was returning from a diving trip when he saw the animal in the water.

"My first thought was maybe a dog, but I was in complete shock when I realized it was a bear," he told WRBW.

After a few minutes, the bear got tired of playing in the water and ran off into the sand dunes.

Officials do not know where the bear came from or why it decided to head to the beach with so many people. While bears are common in northern Florida, the Department of Fish and Wildlife said that the bears usually prefer to stay in areas with a dense understory, such as swamps, scrub oak ridges, and flatwoods.