A Friendly Wild Grey Seal Gives a Big Hug to a Human Diver He Approached for Affectionate Interaction

British doctor and experience diver Ben Burville, whose main interest is in the well-being of wild grey seals in the Farnes Islands in England, has established a wonderful relationship with one such animal.

Referring to the seal as his dive buddy, Burville has lovingly “held hands” and taken “naps” with the seal. The seal, in return has initiated contact and given his human friend great big hugs.

The rather unusual thing about this encounter is that the seal was one that I had dived with before. With over 5000 seals at the Farne Islands I rarely see the same seal. This particular seal had dived with me for over 1 hour, two weeks before this encounter. 10 minutes into this dive the seal made a direct approach and initiated contact.

Here’s a compilation encompassing each of these adorable interactions.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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