Who says that only our furry land mammal friends can be cute and cuddly? On a scuba diving trip near the Farne Islands in Northumberland, UK last year, SCUBA diver Jason Neilus proves that even seals in the wild enjoy some quality nuzzling time too.
Just like their land counterparts, the seal pups that Neilus met underwater were naturally curious and friendly, closely examining Neilus and his team as well as the GoPro cameras he used to shoot their video.
But the young seals proved to have a lot more in common with our pets at home that we thought. As soon as they got used to their curious two-legged guest, the seal pups welcomed him with open flippers. They nuzzled at his hand, like house cats would, for encouragement and then they let him give them belly rubs, like dogs would. And judging from their facial expressions, they found them immensely satisfying and enjoyable.
According to Neilus, that will probably be the last time these seals will interact with humans that way as not only do adult seals tend to be more cautious with divers, but also many of the pups will move somewhere else to form their own colonies, never to see humans again.
There’s a lot of adorable blubber loving in this GoPro video. If you like that type of thing – and let’s face it, who doesn’t?! – or are having a particularly bad day, watch Seal Belly Rub now and let it brighten your day.
And while you’re at it, check out the longer version, Seal of Approval, on Neilus’ Vimeo channel too. It’s already gotten about a million hits!
See Seal Belly Rub after the jump.
Via LaughingSquid