KUSA - Imagine going out for a serene midnight dive, then swimming back to your kayak to find a baby seal just chillin', looking at you as if to say, "Where have you been? You said you'd be back in ten minutes!"
California Diver Rick Coleman knew to keep his distance from the pup, but made sure to get enough video footage of the animal on camera to prove that it actually happened. He also called a friend to tell her what was going on.
"Susie," Rick said into his waterproofed phone. "Okay, well this is a first. Right now I'm sitting on my kayak, and on my bow is a baby sea lion." "No way," Susie said.
Rick pulled out a second camera to capture an even closer shot of the pup while still keeping a safe distance, and then he attempted to shoo it off gently with a paddle.
He managed to get the pup back into the water, but the little guy just swam right back around and hopped back up onto the kayak. Rick decided to just paddle to shore, and the pup stayed with him the entire time.
Once they reached the beach, the diver called Harbor Patrol dispatch, then finally someone affiliated with Animal Rescue to alert them to the situation, but after about 45 minutes, the pup re-entered the water and swam away. Rick figured he probably just needed some time to warm up.
Looking back on the interesting events of the evening, Rick admits that it was "a very special experience I won't soon forget."
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