THEY may be famous for their balancing skills, but one seal was struggling to stay put after jumping on a man’s kayak.
Andrew Linstead filmed the creature’s hilarious attempts to climb on board his boat when the sociable seal popped up to greet him and his friend near Middle Beach in Studland.
The seal, affectionately nicknamed Ron, or ‘Ronseal’, was filmed bobbing its head up from the water between the two kayakers’ boats and using its flipper to hoist itself onto Mr Linstead’s kayak before losing its balance and slipping back into the water.
Mr Linstead continued to film as playful Ron made several more determined attempts to embark the boat, clambering up the tip of the kayak and maintaining his balance for a while before falling off again.
The seal stayed with Mr Linstead for most of the day and, at one point, even shared its supper with him after landing a large fish it caught on the kayak.
Julie Hatcher, a marine awareness officer for Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “We’ve had lots of sightings of one particular seal in the last few months around Studland and Poole Harbour.
“It’s unusual for seals to get so close to humans, as they usually like to keep a safe distance, so it sounds like the same seal to me.
“He’s very friendly and likes to interact with kayakers a lot.
“We’ve called him Smiley because he has a friendly face,” she added.
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