Rare elephant seal delights beachgoers near Brazil's Ipanema

A rare elephant seal delighted Rio's swimmers and surfers on Monday, gracing the city's southern beaches close to Ipanema.

The elephant seal swam among surfers and very close to the shore at Arpoador Beach. Rio's residents captured the moment when the mammal showed up on the beach. According to local reports, the elephant seal was a young male. Marine biologist said the elephant seal likely came up from Patagonia or Antarctica. One of the largest threats to the elephant seal is large-scale fishing, with the mammal having to venture further from its natural habitats in search of food.