A lost elephant seal brought chaos to a town in Chile before locals guided it back into the ocean.

The enormous marine creature was seen shuffling through the wet streets in Puerto Cisnes on Monday night.

It reportedly travelled through more than 10 blocks as residents alerted police and coastguards.

Police and Chilean Navy officials joined concerned neighbours as they sealed off streets leading further inland with cars and plastic sheeting.

Locals even threw buckets of water on the elephant seal to keep it hydrated. They then guided the beast back to the coast where it disappeared back into the sea.

Onlooker Manuel Novoa, a presenter at a local radio station who recorded different scenes of the creature, said: ''Look at all the people who are helping and are using tarpaulin to circle it.

''It's just a few feet from the sea now. The work neighbours have done has been incredible. They're giving it time to rest because it's covered around 10 blocks and must be very tired.''

Navy Captain Christian Reyes Jofre said added: ''We ask people when they see these animals not to approach them or take their pets to see them. A safe distance should be maintained to give them the peace and calm they need so they don't become disorientated or stressed.''