We share our oceans with so many remarkable creatures — when you head into the water you never know what animal might swim up to say hello.
Recently, some California surfers got an adorable surprise when a baby seal hopped on their boards for a ride.
The cute encounter happened near Pacific Beach in San Diego on Saturday, captured on a drone camera by Ed Hartel, aka @dronedudeed.
The baby seal kept hopping on surfers’ boards, delighting everyone.
The little seal was very friendly and comfortable around his new human friends… he kept hopping on the boards as if to say “let’s go for a ride!”
While the human surfers were delighted by the pup, they made sure to keep a respectful distance.
According to NBC San Diego, the pup was “wiped out” by a wave at one point, but was unbothered and quickly popped his head out of the water.
Though the seal charmed everyone, many were concerned about his wellbeing: the young pup was all alone, leading some surfers to believe the seal an orphan, though according to FOX 5 San Diego no deceased seals were reported in the area.
The surfers contacted SeaWorld about the pup, but responders determined that the seal was okay on his own and that no action was warranted.
“Upon arrival, it appeared healthy and was in the water when the team went out to evaluate, so there was no need to intervene as the pup also appeared to be old enough to care for itself,” Tracy Rahr, a representative for SeaWorld, told NBC San Diego.
So while the exact circumstances aren’t clear, this pup is free to hang ten with his new human pals.
What an adorable young seal! This was no doubt a day to remember for these surfers — what cute photos!
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READ MORE:
- Endangered Hawaiian monk seal gives birth to pup on beach
- Man stranded in sea after falling off boat survives thanks to the help of a seal
- Outgoing seal isn’t afraid to go up and make friends with humans at the beach