VIDEO: Bear spotted swimming in Crater Lake for first time in decades

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A black bear was recently seen swimming in Crater Lake and exploring Wizard Island for the first time in “many decades,” the National Park Service announced on Sept. 3.

A National Parks Service research team spotted the bear swimming around the lake on Aug. 28. NPS employee David Grimes managed to capture the bear on camera as it lumbered around Wizard Island.

"A black bear visited Wizard Island for a few hours," Grimes' YouTube page states. "The park's lake research crew observed it swimming across Fumarole Bay, shaking off the water when it reached the shore, and walking across the lava rocks."

After exploring the island, the bear was seen swimming back across the bay and climbing back up the caldera wall. NPS rangers said the sighting was a rare treat for park visitors.

"It had been many decades since we had witnessed a bear swimming in Crater Lake, so it was a real treat for the few lucky folks who got to see it," Crater Lake National Park wrote on Facebook.