A combo image shows the seal in the streets of Puerto Cisnes.

A huge seal made its way into the streets of Puerto Cisnes, a city and seaport in Chile, during the middle of the night, leaving the locals in a state of bemusement.

The situation brought traffic to a standstill in the area. Police directed the seal to the ocean without getting injured.

Dramatic photos and videos show the animal making its way aimlessly through town, before residents and police helped it back to the sea, throwing water over it to keep it hydrated. It took several hours and around 50 people guided the seal to return to the water.

Speculations have been made that the seal may have arrived in the city during the lockdown and curfew due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In recent weeks, due to quarantine and night curfews, there have been visits from other animals, such as cougars.