A POPULAR underwater animal dubbed ‘Ron the Seal’ has been spotted along the Swanage coast.

Ron was pictured lounging on the pontoon belonging to Swanage Lifeboat Station.

This is not the first time that Ron and more of his kind have been spotted around the coast.

Both common and grey seals are native to UK waters and can be found across Dorset.

Bournemouth Echo:

While seals face no natural predators in the UK, environmental and human interference pose risk to their habitats.

Lifeboat operations manager for Swanage RNLI, Rob Pullman, said: 'Our volunteer crew spotted the seal on our slipway at 9:30am on Wednesday.

“He seemed in good health so we enjoyed watching him from afar - fortunately he didn't get in the way of any lifeboat launches.

“Ron the Seal is patrolling the end of the slipway, keeping it clear in case we need to launch on a rescue, although he now appears to be asleep on the job.”

A spokesperson for Dorset Wildlife Trust said: “We are privileged to have visits from both grey seals and common seals along the Dorset coast and whilst it’s exciting to spot a seal, it’s important to remember that they are wild animals and need to be given plenty of space.”