A sea lion was spotted in a park miles from the sea leaving tourists stunned.
The group of holidaymakers were on a trail when they saw the marine mammal walking among grassland near a path.
In a video captured by one of the tourists, the sea lion can be seen stopping to observe its unfamiliar surroundings.
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Surprised by the presence of the animal, the group informed park rangers who then reached out to The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service – also known as Sernapesca.
The Chilean public body rescued the sea lion and returned it to its natural habitat.
The National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) of Magallanes, shared the news of the “unprecedented sighting” on social media.
Its statement read: “An unprecedented sighting of a sea lion was seen today.
“Park rangers from Conaf Magallanes have already informed the relevant agencies of this surprising discovery.”
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The sea lion was seen on 7 May at the Torres del Paine National Park, specifically on the Carretas trail, Paine Grande, located in Chile’s Patagonia region.
This location is approximately 28 to 30 kilometres from the sea, according to Maurcio Ruiz, the director of Conaf Magallanes.
Maurcio believed that the sea lion had travelled to the park via a river which led to the Señoret canal, which is close to the park, as reported by What’s The Jam.
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The sea lion has been transported back to a port city called Puerto, which is on the Señoret Channel in Chile’s southern Patagonia.
Maurcio said: “It’s a very strange finding, very rare, because we are approximately 28 or 30 kilometers from the sea.
“[We think that the sea lion got here] by the Grey River that leads to the Señoret canal near Puerto Natales.
“The head of the park called Sernapesca officials, who are the legal guardians of marine fauna, to remove the sea lion and take it near Puerto Natales.
“And that’s what was done.”
Sernapesca said that sea lions tend to live in the Los Lagos Region to the south, in Chile, although some have been found further north.
It added that sea lions prefer to be surrounded by rocky beaches and islands.
