A curious kayaker recently found himself paddling within a few feet of a giant black bear at Hemlock Lake in New York.

A YouTube video posted by Matthew Garrity (below) on July 18 shows the bear swimming just beyond the nose of his kayak in the direction of the wooded shoreline on the other side of the lake. According to an article published by WHAM-TV, Garrity approached the large moving mass in the water out of his own inquisitive nature and quickly realized he was within 15 feet of a massive black bear. After filming the encounter for a few seconds, Garrity realized he should leave the animal alone and let him continue on his way.

Garrity has gained attention on social media after originally posting the 13-second video on his Facebook page and receiving more than 300,000 views.