Dangers of Diving
Diving can be a dangerous sport, especially when it’s deep sea diving. However, if you know what you’re doing, it can be an incredible experience.
Occasionally, you can even see and experience things you could never imagine–which is exactly what happened when one man took a dive on this particular day. Even with years of experience, he never thought he would get to experience this once in a lifetime moment.
Gary Grayson
Gary Grayson, a 55-year-old underwater videographer from Salford, United Kingdom met some super friendly seals on a dive that will remain his all-time favorite.
The seals were overly friendly and kept approaching him, almost asking him for something. He couldn’t figure out what they wanted until they grabbed his hand.
Scilly, England
They decided to dive off the coast of Scilly, England one afternoon, bringing their camera equipment with them.
They were hoping to catch something on film that would make some interesting footage, and that they did. It didn’t take long for the seals to find them, and when they did, they cracked everyone up.
Underwater Ecosystems
The original intent of the dive was to check out some of the underwater plants and biodiversity. Checking out each crevice and corner, they were finding some interesting stuff.
The seals approached Gary and his friends, interested in what they were doing.
Pups
Gary knew that the seals were pups, because of their size and markings. Seal pups are extremely curious, and today was no different.
Gary picked up his camera because he wanted to make sure to capture all of this on film. Soon, he had to have a friend take over because one seal, in particular, was obsessed with him.
Curious Critters
Gary was careful not to scare the seal pups, as he wanted the encounter to last as long as possible.
He wasn’t sure what they were interested in, but he knew he was one lucky guy. They started circling him, touching him and checking out his gear.
Water Dogs
It’s no secret that seals are well-known as water dogs, just look at them! They look like dogs without ears and tails of course, but they even act like them.
The seals were so interested in the divers, they even began hugging them. Just look at that smile!
Kisses
Furthering their reputations as water dogs, the seals started rubbing their faces on Gary, almost giving him kisses.
Usually, they’re not this easy to befriend, but for some reason, they just couldn’t get enough of this season diver.
Nibbling
This seal began nibbling Gary’s glove, signaling he wanted something more.
Gary still couldn’t figure out what the pup wanted, but he hoped he could figure it out to keep the entertainment going. Soon, it was apparent what this pup wanted and he couldn’t believe it.
Smiling
The duo continued to play with each other, swimming around almost even smiling. They both were clearly enjoying the moment more than they ever thought they would.
In water, seals are extremely fast and agile, but this pup was using slow motions, as almost if he didn’t want to scare Gary. Here he is, getting a little chin scratch. Next up, a more formal introduction.
Shaking Hands
The facial expressions on the seal were hysterical, and he kept cracking a smile. He also began shaking Gary’s hand, becoming more animated by the moment.
He’s saying, “It’s so nice to meet ya, Gary.” And of course, Gary felt the same way. The seal began to get even more curious as time passed on.
Chomp Chomp
The seal start nibbling on Gary’s glove! Not too hard, even though he had the bite power to take his hand off completely. He was clearly being playful and not aggressive.
They were becoming better friends by the moment. As he was nibbling away, he was using his head to gesture that he wanted Gary to do something. But what?
Lets Dance
This photo that Gary’s friend was able to capture was one of the best. The seal is trying to tell Gary to use his hand for something, but it looks like he is asking him to dance.
In some sense, the two were doing a dance of some kind for nearly 20 minutes. But Gary still didn’t understand what the seal wanted.
Do This!
The seal was now trying other tactics to show the diver what he wanted. With two flippers, he grabbed Gary’s hand and began shaking it.
You can tell by the look on his face that he was started to get annoyed at Gary’s lack of understanding–not enough to give up, though. There was a second seal patiently awaiting his turn.
A Second Seal
There was a second seal swimming around Gary’s legs while the first one kept entertaining his hands.
He started working his way up Gary’s arm, nibbling at his wetsuit. These were very patient seals, and they were very gentle. But then…
Once in a Lifetime Experience
“I’m an experienced diver but I have never known anything like that,” Gary told the Dodo. In the video Gary posted on Youtube, the other seal can be seen trying to get in on some of the action.
Although, Gary didn’t see it, I mean, he did have his hands full. His next move, made everyone say “aww.”
Belly Rub
After they shook hands and nuzzled each other, the seal rolled over on his back. He asked for a belly rub, just as any other dog would.
In what would become an extremely precious moment, the two really began trusting each other; and luckily, the cameraman caught it all on tape.
Expressive
Seals are extremely expressive creatures, using their facial expressions to tell you how they’re feeling. It’s part of the reason why they look like the pets we love so much, dogs.
They’re even reminiscent of human babies, fighting for Gary’s attention. They even have a jealous side.
Jealousy
As you can see, the second seal is clearly jealous of his brother’s belly rub. Gary is truly the luckiest man alive to be getting this much attention from baby seals.
With over 15 million views on Youtube, and 10,000 likes, it seems the world is in agreement. Gary talks about this amazing experience so much, he said: “I’ve probably bored all my friends going on about it.” There is one thing Gary knows for sure.
Friends For Life
Gary has clearly made friends for life, and memories that he will never forget.
He admits that he relives the moment quite regularly, watching the video on his phone whenever he can. These seals have won the hearts of so many.