VIRAL VIDEO: Kayaker saves struggling iguana miles away from Florida coast

A kayaker filmed a now-viral video where he encountered a stranded iguana he found swimming four miles off the Florida Keys.

The man, identified only as Steve in one report, spotted the iguana struggling and immediately started filming the encounter. The video was posted on YouTube and watched by nearly a million viewers.

“What are you doing out here? Are you lost or something?” he shouted to the iguana. He then told it to “hop on if you can” and tried to help the lizard with a paddle to get it on board.

After the animal got on the boat, the man said: “That’s some rough business, what are you doing?”

He asked the iguana to move somewhere more secure on the boat when he was about to turn on the engine.

“Or do you want a breather and just keep swimming to Cuba?” he endearingly asked after the reptile continued sitting still and breathing heavily.

After the iguana found a more comfortable spot on the boat – a top of the cooler – the man set off his engine and headed back to dry land.

“Don’t panic and jump off, I’ll leave you,” he told the iguana as he started the engine.

The iguana jumped off the boat once it approached the land. “Nice meeting you. Rest out for a while and be safe,” he said as he waved to the animal.