It seems a seal has made its way to the Hudson River.

A photo of the harbor seal was snapped by Katy Wong about a week ago near Nyack State Beach Park.

"I would presume its a young male, males in mammal population are normally cast out and they have to go fend for themselves," said George Jackman, senior habitat restoration manager at Riverkeeper.

Jackman said seals have always been in the Hudson River, although fewer more recently.

He believes this seal followed fish, possibly herring, into the Hudson River. which he said is a great sign for the quality of the water.

"We've seen seals, whales and dolphins in the Hudson so, ya that is a wonderful sign," said Jackman. "We want to bring back the life to the Hudson."

Jackman said recent sightings of marine mammals, like the sighting of a dolphin in the Bronx River, show water quality across New York is improving.

"Every time we get new creatures recolonizing or returning to their habitat I think that's a good thing," he said.

Returning to the Hudson River also poses a great benefit to the seal.

"The benefit of being in the river in a forage base is he doesn't have to worry about sharks or serious predators that want to eat him," said Jackman.

It's unclear if the seal is still in the Hudson River, or if it's left for the shores of New Jersey or Long Island.

For those who have seen it, it's been a pleasant surprise and a reminder of why cleaning up the environment is so important.