Years ago, when I was a wee lil’ grom surfing in Rio de Janeiro, I noticed a strange creature bobbing in and out of the surf. It certainly wasn’t a fish but it swam around as if it were right at home in the water at Arpoador, one of Rio’s most consistent surf breaks. It wasn’t until the lifeguards plucked it from the water that I saw it was a penguin — clearly not right at home, thousands of miles away, in fact. The lifeguards rescued it to be placed under the care of the zoo before it could be transported back to Antarctica. Just last week another exotic creature has made it’s way to Rio, this time, a much bigger one, a male southern elephant seal. While the lone fella may be a bit early for Carnaval, he has become a bit of an overnight celebrity in the city that is world famous for its beach culture and iconic tropical mountain landscape.…