9-foot Florida python goes for a long swim, takes a break to soak up the sun

Last month, a Florida kayaker came upon a very large snake coiled up on a platform located in Biscayne Bay, reports WTVJ.

It is believed that the 9-foot Burmese python swam there.

Frank Mazzotti, an area wildlife expert, noted, "To find one swimming is not surprising and it probably, in the course of swimming, spied that platform and said, 'Ah, this is a good place to get out in the sun.'"

The theory put forth by a park ranger is much the same, but includes the possibility that the giant reptile, "...sort of hop-scotched from island to island and then ran out of islands,"

See more photos of the Bermese python:

That the creatures can freely move among such landmasses is concerning, as the snake is considered an invasive species that poses a significant threat to many indigenous wildlife.

Though the sighting in Biscayne Bay is a rare one, Burmese python populations have surged in many southern Florida locales, notes the Miami Herald.