On the North Coast we have both deer and an ocean, but how often have you heard of a long-distance swimming deer?

The Orange County Register of Irvine, California, recently reported about a deer who created its own endurance contest. Trevor Grimes caught a photo of a 120-pound deer as it suddenly bolted into the ocean at Laguna Beach one morning recently.

It swam two miles, “through surf as high as 4 feet and over submerged rocks” before coming out of the water. From there it trotted up into a canyon, then later about a mile down along U.S. Highway 1 , finally choosing a backyard in a gated community to take a rest. From there it was captured and released into the wild by Laguna Beach Animal Control — no worse for the wear, apparently.

Rob Rojas of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said that deer usually run into the water to get rid of ticks, cool off or escape a “perceived danger.”

“They can swim up to 10 miles, from what I understand,” he added. “They’re pretty solid.” (Photo: Trevor Grimes)