Diver was surprised to see a seal nibbling on his leg — then he found out what it really wanted
Animals are far more like us humans than we realize. They crave affection, get curious by the unknown, and are resourceful just like us. In a video that went viral, winning the internet, two friendly seals approached and startled a Worsley scuba diver in the Isles of Scilly. When Gary Grayson was exploring the ocean, a seal came up to him, wriggling excitedly through the water. It grabbed his hand and invited him to play before he realized what it really wanted.
The playful seal gave Grayson a gentle nibble to get his attention. Though a carnivore, it was careful not to bite him. The seal then used its flippers to tug at his arms, as if trying to say something. After a moment, it turned over and exposed its belly, as reported by GOOD. It was then that Grayson understood what it really wanted was a belly rub. Grinning, he extended his hand and gave its neck and tummy a good scratch. The seal relaxed, enjoying every moment. A simple dive thus turned out to be quite the underwater experience of a lifetime.
Commenting on the incident, Grayson said, “I was absolutely loving it. I had seen other seals in the water, but they just buzzed past us. None was as inquisitive as he was, and none as friendly. We were told just to sit on the bottom of the kelp, but the more still we were, the more inquisitive this seal was because we were in their world." He added, “This grey seal came across and had five minutes with me, kind of thing. Then another was climbing up my leg. I’m an experienced diver but I have never known anything like that. I’ve been all over the world, to Mexico and Cuba, to dive with great big mantas and sharks. I’m not one to frighten easily."
As reported by Manchester Evening News, the diver added, “If the truth be told, I’m a bit of an adrenalin junky. Before that, I was into sky-diving, and I had done aerobatics. I tend to live life on the edge. But this was certainly up there with anything I have ever done." As the video made the rounds on social media, netizens compared the animal to their furry companions. A person penned, "They are like golden retrievers underwater without a shoe in their mouth." Another noted, "The seal was like, 'I don't know what you are, but you give pats and belly rubs so we cool.'"
Others compared the seal to their pets. A person shared, "My dog and cats do something similar, putting their paw on me, wanting me to continue to pet and scratch them, but these seals are wild, yet are trusting these strangers. Nice catching this on camera!" Chiming in, one remarked, "This is one of my favorite videos of all time! That sweet baby is absolutely adorable...Lucky divers to be chosen for that exchange."