Bear takes a stroll along Lake Tahoe beach and goes swimming close to shocked onlookers

A large black bear strolled across a beach in South Lake Tahoe, California, as beachgoers looked on in shock.

The animal took a moment to cool down in the water on Saturday 31 August as it wandered the banks next to the boathouse on the pier - close to kayaks, paddleboards, jet skis and pedal boats.

A crowd gathered just a few feet away on the sand, many watching the bear calmly with some recording the moment on their phones.

Temperatures in South Lake Tahoe can reach close to 30C in August.