Personal Injury Attorney in Murrels Inlet, SC.

An unusual head popped up in Lowcountry waters this past Thursday. A harbor seal visited Murrells Inlet for some rest, relaxation, and of course – tasty meals. (Mike Eady)

MURRELLS INLET, S.C. (WCIV) — An unusual head popped up in Lowcountry waters this past Thursday. A harbor seal visited Murrells Inlet for some rest, relaxation, and of course – tasty meals.

“I was extremely shocked because that's the last thing I expected to see in the salt marsh, especially that far back," said Mike Eady, the Guide & Owner of Black River Outdoors.

A group of eight people from Ohio and a few others went on an eco kayaking tour to learn about the salt marsh ecosystem of Murrells Inlet and ended up with the experience of a lifetime.

“It was a couple miles from the actual inlet where the inlet goes into the ocean, so that seal was almost as far back in the marsh as he could get," Eady said.

Harbor seals feed on fish in marine and estuarine waters, and according to NOAA Fisheries, are important indicators of a clean and healthy coastal marine ecosystem and are common along the United States' east and west coasts.

They live in temperate coastal habitats and typically do not migrate, but often explore for food or to birth their pups.

This one specifically swam to the most southern point of its home, which is an unusual experience for this time of year.

"This one was the second one that I've ever seen and ever really been that close to because he was not far from us, and he pretty much paddled up to within a couple feet of one of our clients’ boat that day," Eady said.

According to the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network, Murrells Inlet is the most southern point of their home.

"He seems to be okay," Eady said. "A lot of folks have commented that he might be sick or he is lost or how is he going to survive and things like that.”

“I immediately reported it to Huntington B State Park and the park officials because I work very closely with them," he continued. "They came out to just try and see if they could see it.”

Experts that protect marine mammals say to give the seal space and to let it rest if it’s on land.

“Just kept our distance and the seal actually swam towards us, we were just sitting still drifting with the tide," Eady recalled. "But he was pretty relaxed. He just got done eating a fish and he just took a peek at us and a second later he would lay back and close his eyes like he was taking a small nap.”

The seal was spotted again on Monday by a fisherman still enjoying the Lowcountry waters.

"We would love to see him again, but we also want to see him get back to where he come from safely," said Eady. "As to, in my opinion being right there with him, he looks very healthy.”

The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network continues to monitor this seal as it finds its way home.