A bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), normally found much farther north in marine waters, has turned up very far south in a freshwater habitat.

Caught Monday, May 7th, the 6-foot-long, 250-pound bearded seal had been seen for several days in Martin County, Florida, according to an Associated Press article, “Arctic Seal Is Captured in Fla. Canal.”

“This is the first time we have had a bearded seal show up in Florida,” said Kim Amendola, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Their primary habitat is north of Newfoundland.”

These are medium-sized seals, and indeed, live in the Arctic Ocean. In 2002, a male bearded seal appeared in Tama River in Tokyo, Japan. Named Tama-chan, the seal became an overnight celebrity in Japan, with crowds and television crews following its every move, merchandise going on sale and fan clubs being formed. It currently lives in another river in Tokyo, although the fad has now died down.

Black bobcats and arctic seals: That Martin County must be one very attractive location for strange interlopers.