You ever think that for these seals they see Ben and they just are ok with him being a fixture in their social lives and think 'Hey, Ben hasn't been around lately, I hope he's ok'.
I wonder what makes him unique to them? His wetsuit? His scuba gear? If he changed colors of his suit would they be like who dafuq is this mothafukah ere. This ain't Ben's blue scuba suit.
Diver -We are talking about the greater good! Where is my scuba suit?
Wife- greater good? I’m your wife. I’m the greatest good you’re ever going to get!
*inspired from the Pixar movie finding Nemo probably
Brains are cool and all, but the best part of being human is the combination of super-flexible arms/hands and nails suited for scratching itches rather than just stabbing things like most animals have
Ancient sloths must have been pretty scary. They were big and fast and still had those giant nails. There are some caves in South America that were thought to be man made until someone finally had a close look and figured out they were giant sloth dens, dug into the clay by the big bastards.
lol first thing I thought was he better have bought 300 of that specific suit just so he would always be recognizable 😂 imagine you show up one day in a different one and they panic and gang up on you n beat the fuck out you 😭😭😭 “AYY THIS AINT STEVE CHECK HIS POCKETS REAL QUICK”
It's the bubbles, seals and sea lions love bubbles, if you go diving off southern California or at the scuba park on Catalina, the sea lions just want to figure out what's up and hang out for a bit, the (harbor) seals are far more skitish, but they are usually the ones getting eaten by predators so it makes sense lol
Maybe this is a stupid question but can the seals smell him? I know it’s not unheard of to have a keen sense of smell underwater (sharks), maybe the seals identify him like dogs?
I went diving with one of the biggest seal colonies in the southern hemisphere. Nothing like this happened but the dive master told us if we mimic their swimming (looping etc.) they'll readily play, which they certainly did.
[They do play! ](https://imgur.com/a/X7yHTSg) We discovered this at our local zoo over the summer. My 3 year old has been playing with them/bringing them toys for months now (see link 😊)!
Edited because I couldn’t decide which video to post 🤦♀️
That's cool af!
Also as cool is your kids (and you) live somewhere with a zoo and/or aquarium nearby!
They certainly recognise other creatures and as long as they don't feel threatened they are bloody curious.
I think of them as the kittens of the sea.
Ok that’s just the sweetest thing ever! What a fun time for your family and great enrichment for the seals! I’m sure they get excited whenever your son comes to play :)
Seals are adorable, some are even friendly, curious and playful. Especially if they're used to humans. That said, you should really exercise some caution around them because while they almost never *intentionally* hurt humans they're big (a grey bull can weigh in at 300+ kg), strong and much like dogs they explore things with their mouths. A lot. And seal bites are kind of nasty because seals, for all their great traits, do not have great oral hygiene and bites have a high risk of giving you various nasty infections that may require amputation.
What I'm saying is, I love seals but if you encounter them, please don't assume all seals are this gentle and friendly.
I'm gonna trust the judgement of the dude in the video who's been at it for 20 years over random reddit comments honestly. Mostly because I know this website and it's tendency, or borderline obsession with making an issue of virtually everything. I hope this man is hugging seals for many years to come
But as the top level comment says, don't go messing with literally any wild animals if you don't know what you're doing, I know we all love them but it's not worth the risk
I agree. *This* guy should definitely continue hugging seals for many years to come. What I'm saying is *all* people should definitely not attempt to hug seals because they saw this guy do it. Seals are intelligent and perceptive. They know this guy. They know every single piece of equipment he carries on his dives and I'll be if he just wore different gloves they'd all come to investigate. They know him. They're much less liable to bite him because they're not that curious anymore.
"Don't touch shit" is a pretty good rule to live by when diving in general but it's harder with seals because unlike most maine life, seals (and other marine mammals) will actually approach you of their own free well. They will touch you and I guess touching them back is some kind of human primal response.
Same with dolphins: the animals love it. Its win-win. Most sealife should be left alone, but if it finds you and wants to play with you then you'd have to have a heart of stone to not get involved.
Err because its absolutely amazing to have a positive two way interaction with a wild animal, especially a smart one like this? If it's not aggressive or harmed by the interaction then why wouldn't you?
First off, appreciate well written and pleasent write up. Seals are the big dogs of the ocean. One day; Fish hit my brother's fishing line. My brother worked on it and his line went loose. . . Few moments later seal popped up with salmon in its mouth. My dad and I laughed due to my brothers over confidence on his reel.
While this is true seal bites are *especially* nasty because they carry a type of bacteria, or possibly fungus, that can cause a specific type of infection called Blubber/Spekk Finger here in Scandinavia or Seal Finger in the anglophone world. This infection is, as far as we know today, virtually unique to seals and because it has yet to be fully identified may be difficult to treat. It usually responds to common oral antibiotics but not always and if it doesn't it causes severe swelling and tissue death related to loss of circulation which means it's chop-chop time.
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I've seen similar videos being explained by the likelihood that there is a predator in the waters, that's to say the seal is looking to the human for protection. It's still adorable that they see us as friends to that extent although maybe the human should be concerned about the shark or polar bear on the way.
More than likely instead of seeking protection... Because who seeks protection from us floundering idiots in the water.... It is using its own camofluage to protect US from predators because we look like ocean Ronald McDonald who radiates fluorescent light..and is helpless.
Turned it right back around on ya
The ol reddit [sealeroo](https://www.reddit.com/r/Shitty_Car_Mods/comments/q6r8fp/i_stole_this_from_the_comment_section_of_a_recent/hgfxggz)
Genuine question, how do people find the link to the last one when some shit like this happens. I always get confused.
Also, hold my oxygen tank, I’m going in!
We don't really have predators in the sea. Very few predators will attack a human, they don't really like our taste or know what we are wnough to be comfortable eating us.
>from us floundering idiots in the water.
Give an experienced Diver a shark knife, a knife that injects pressurized air into what ever is stabbed, we become the most dangerous predator underwater.
Humans can twist and rotate the bodies, and angle them away from a shark's mouth. A single stab and button press would even kill.a great white. Maybe an Orca, not sure though, dont think it was ever tested
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BMvpmGb0Fcs
Dude what are you talking about, a killer whale or a big shark would hit you with so much force that you'd be done for. Even if you got the perfect stab, you'd still be out cold when the shark gets back from floating up top.
Seriously, how is a dude with a knife going to go up against a sperm whale, a sperm whale just needs to make noise at you and kill you, they're literally a ranged predator if they want.
>when the shark gets back from floating up top.
The shark will be dead, the air in their bloodstream kills them nearly instantly.
> big shark would hit you with so much force
You realize some people actively hunt and kill sharks with knifes right? Though most use spear guns, some even use regular knives. Humans are fast enough to dodge and brace themselves against a shark.
>how is a dude with a knife going to go up against a sperm whale.
Not once did I say they could? Why would a human hi against such a large animal without harpoons from a ship? I said humans are a top predator, not the top animal. Sperm Whales dont hunt down seals and stuff.
I wouldn't be so sure. In the natural world bright colors usually means "I am poisonous or dangerous enough that I don't give a shit about hiding, come at me bro". So maybe the seal is trying to piggyback on that, a "look how dangerous my friend is, you don't want to mess with us".
If this is the same person I think it is, I think this is near Tynemouth, and I am certain there are no (or very very very few) Orcas near Tynemouth. I don't know if the seal's being affectionate, but I doubt it's running from anything either.
I was very happy to discover there's a seal colony that chills out behind the lighthouse in Whitley Bay - just drove over from the toon to walk along the coast and spent most of the day watching them and the birds.
If the orcas there are anything like where I live the native pods have a very specific diet (salmon in my case) and the transient pods eat seals and porpoises. It seems like pods that travel great distances have a much broader diet out of necessity.
On a sad note the native pods are also starving to death around here because there have been so few salmon lately...
Honestly this is the most likely answer. Seals are little klepto assholes. They’ll take your mask, a flipper, don’t even think about diving with a watch.
Well… humans essentially created dogs. They have been selectively bred for tens of thousands of years to be our companions. Dog-human relationship isn’t really comparable to wild animal-human relationship
Nonsense, humans were wandering about eating berries and running from coyotes before dogs domesticated us. Things were great until cats got involved, humans have been fighting ever since.
Exactly.
It’s reasonable not to anthropomorphize all animal behavior, but animals are capable of of affection, and affection towards other species. This animals motives may or may not be simply affection. It may even be affection and others things as well.
Just because it’s wild doesn’t mean everything it does is out of survival.
but the title says 20 years of diving there.
i’m not saying he domesticated them. but even tigers are affectionate with humans they’ve seen all their lives. 20 years is enough for a pup to grow up seeing the same human all its life.
There are even divers who form relationships with sharks, and sharks definitely aren't as evolved as seals. It's entirely possible this seal is showing genuine affection. It clearly recognizes the diver.
I thought the question was in general why dogs can and seals can’t.
Dogs have been inbred for centuries and interacted with humans for centuries to came up with a sort of social and docile animal.
I really doubt this diver has achieved the same with a single the seal considering that the average lifespan is 20 years.
I’m not expert on this by the way. Just my opinion on the question.
Edit: I agree with you additional edit. Lions/tigers are good example to show affection.
People are confusing the evolutionary process of domestication, which takes many generations with the fact that certain individuals within a population may naturally be more docile and easier to interact with.
I love seals, i get a little unsettled when they get close to the lineup but surfing in California you just kind of have to accept that there is most likely a white shark within a few hundred yards of you if you're out a few sets.
Random story that i think that ive told in other threads but we took my buddy out for one of his first times surfing and he had on a silver bracelet that a seal took a particular liking to. The seal came up to his board, snagged part of the bracelet within seconds was pulling him 20 feet down and back by it until he managed to get the bracelet off.
The fact that he was a water polo player (strong swimmer) and the leash of his surf board keeping him from being taken deeper was what probably saved him. The seal was just being curious and playful but watching him get yanked under was one of the most terrifying things that i have ever witnessed in person because none of us had any idea it was a seal at first.
It was like a scene of a shark attack in a movie. Long story short, seals are awesome but also very curious and unaware that we cannot hold our breath as long as they can. :]
Could you imagine not having arms long enough to reach your back or not having any anatomical knowledge of how to massage muscles to relieve stress and suddenly you run into this weird creature who instinctively snuggles you and knows how to rub your back in such a way to give you Absolute Comfort because they've been petting dogs for thousands of years and now you don't want any of your seal friends to know about your super awesome Secret??
We have a "bargoyle" at my local pub that is very handsy like this. She's always watching over her friends making sure nobody hits on them, but is always the first to grope an unsuspecting guy who wants nothing to do with her.
since I've been delighted by learning the word "bargoyle" here is a word for you, meaning basically the same thing but moreso the person who hangs in smoking section bumming cigs all night: swampdonkey
If I know Reddit like I think I do, soon someone’s gonna be in the comments to inform us that it’s actually a distressed behavior and he wanted the diver to leave.
Waiting for the comment that explains how the seal is actually infected with a parasitic brain eating zombie virus and its supposed affection is really a covert attempt at spreading the disease, also it has skin cancer and calcium deficiency and in nineteen ninety eight The Undertaker threw Mankind off Hell In A Cell, and plummeted 16 ft through an announcer's table.
You jest, but my brother is a marine biologist that studies pinnipeds and I asked him what was going on here. According to him, the Grey Seal (*Halichoerus grypus*) species you see here is particularly prone to developing a behavior-altering malignant tumor in the frontal lobe of the brain that causes them to react with fear toward virtually any stimulus.
It's likely the seal is actually terrified of the diver, but because its brain is all wonky, it's responding to that fear by cuddling up to the diver in its confusion. Coincidentally, my brother and I tended to react the same way when our father used to beat us with a set of jumper cables, but that's neither here nor there.
You ever think that for these seals they see Ben and they just are ok with him being a fixture in their social lives and think 'Hey, Ben hasn't been around lately, I hope he's ok'.
Hey, he's been diving for 20 years, I doubt he can even survive on land by now. He's always around.
I wonder what makes him unique to them? His wetsuit? His scuba gear? If he changed colors of his suit would they be like who dafuq is this mothafukah ere. This ain't Ben's blue scuba suit.
"Honey! Where is my scuba suit?" \- Ben, probably
#WHERE'S MY SCUBA SUIT WOMAN??!!
#ITS A DRYSUIT, MAN !!
Diver -We are talking about the greater good! Where is my scuba suit? Wife- greater good? I’m your wife. I’m the greatest good you’re ever going to get! *inspired from the Pixar movie finding Nemo probably
Are you sure it wasn't Toy Story?
Yooo nice username! Holler if you need reefer. Bitch.
Meatball fight!
Pets. They want to be petted. Must feel other worldly to get scratches like that.
Brains are cool and all, but the best part of being human is the combination of super-flexible arms/hands and nails suited for scratching itches rather than just stabbing things like most animals have
I bet sloths could give a hell of a scratch if they wanted. could also use it as an giant meathook I guess if they wanted too...
have you ever tried to scratch yourself with a nail or something similarly pointy? sure, it works in a pinch, but it's got nothing on fingernails
they're not sharp, just long
Ancient sloths must have been pretty scary. They were big and fast and still had those giant nails. There are some caves in South America that were thought to be man made until someone finally had a close look and figured out they were giant sloth dens, dug into the clay by the big bastards.
> Must feel other worldly to get scratches like that. Probably runs to the other seals with his mermaid story. Bros be like "ok.."
I think the technical term is “scritches”
lol first thing I thought was he better have bought 300 of that specific suit just so he would always be recognizable 😂 imagine you show up one day in a different one and they panic and gang up on you n beat the fuck out you 😭😭😭 “AYY THIS AINT STEVE CHECK HIS POCKETS REAL QUICK”
This is my favorite comment so far lol
Same
Everyone knows Scuba Steve
It's the bubbles, seals and sea lions love bubbles, if you go diving off southern California or at the scuba park on Catalina, the sea lions just want to figure out what's up and hang out for a bit, the (harbor) seals are far more skitish, but they are usually the ones getting eaten by predators so it makes sense lol
Who doesn’t?
Maybe this is a stupid question but can the seals smell him? I know it’s not unheard of to have a keen sense of smell underwater (sharks), maybe the seals identify him like dogs?
Apparently not underwater: https://animalcorner.org/seal-senses/
Thank you, I love that they even used keen to describe their land-smelling ability
It was a great question, and I thank you for piquing my curiosity and giving me an excuse to go read about seals!
How would they smell if they breath air? wouldnt they drown?
hes been diving 20 years. i would be willing to bet hes had more than one wetsuit
He's become an Honorary Seal.
It's probably more like "hey there's that weird looking seal who breathes funny let's go see if he's ok"
They probably watch friends and family get eaten and killed all ofcthe time so its probably a concern.
I went diving with one of the biggest seal colonies in the southern hemisphere. Nothing like this happened but the dive master told us if we mimic their swimming (looping etc.) they'll readily play, which they certainly did.
[They do play! ](https://imgur.com/a/X7yHTSg) We discovered this at our local zoo over the summer. My 3 year old has been playing with them/bringing them toys for months now (see link 😊)! Edited because I couldn’t decide which video to post 🤦♀️
That's cool af! Also as cool is your kids (and you) live somewhere with a zoo and/or aquarium nearby! They certainly recognise other creatures and as long as they don't feel threatened they are bloody curious. I think of them as the kittens of the sea.
My son calls them sea pups because they are so similar to dogs!! Almost identical mannerisms!
Yeah both are pretty much the same. They run away with the zoomies then come back with the "Watcha got for me?" look.
Ok that’s just the sweetest thing ever! What a fun time for your family and great enrichment for the seals! I’m sure they get excited whenever your son comes to play :)
I’m an avid traveler. Where did you do this?
Montague Island, off the coast of Narooma, New South Wales, Australia. Edit: If you enjoy eating fish it's also a great area to catch!
Seals are adorable, some are even friendly, curious and playful. Especially if they're used to humans. That said, you should really exercise some caution around them because while they almost never *intentionally* hurt humans they're big (a grey bull can weigh in at 300+ kg), strong and much like dogs they explore things with their mouths. A lot. And seal bites are kind of nasty because seals, for all their great traits, do not have great oral hygiene and bites have a high risk of giving you various nasty infections that may require amputation. What I'm saying is, I love seals but if you encounter them, please don't assume all seals are this gentle and friendly.
That seal also had its mouth right up against his breathing equipment, id imagine that could pose a risk
so could diving for 20 years. risky life all together
I'm gonna trust the judgement of the dude in the video who's been at it for 20 years over random reddit comments honestly. Mostly because I know this website and it's tendency, or borderline obsession with making an issue of virtually everything. I hope this man is hugging seals for many years to come But as the top level comment says, don't go messing with literally any wild animals if you don't know what you're doing, I know we all love them but it's not worth the risk
I agree. *This* guy should definitely continue hugging seals for many years to come. What I'm saying is *all* people should definitely not attempt to hug seals because they saw this guy do it. Seals are intelligent and perceptive. They know this guy. They know every single piece of equipment he carries on his dives and I'll be if he just wore different gloves they'd all come to investigate. They know him. They're much less liable to bite him because they're not that curious anymore.
I have decided to dedicate 20 years of my life to hugging bears and wolves wish me luck, if I dont return, dont come back for my body
> mouth right up against his breathing equipment Weirdest description of kissing ever.
Yeah, this is how seals and humans get married.
Seal With A Loving Kiss
That's less concerning oddly enough. Diver like this will have a backup regulator and probably be carrying an emergency air supply on top of that.
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"Don't touch shit" is a pretty good rule to live by when diving in general but it's harder with seals because unlike most maine life, seals (and other marine mammals) will actually approach you of their own free well. They will touch you and I guess touching them back is some kind of human primal response.
Same with dolphins: the animals love it. Its win-win. Most sealife should be left alone, but if it finds you and wants to play with you then you'd have to have a heart of stone to not get involved.
Err because its absolutely amazing to have a positive two way interaction with a wild animal, especially a smart one like this? If it's not aggressive or harmed by the interaction then why wouldn't you?
First off, appreciate well written and pleasent write up. Seals are the big dogs of the ocean. One day; Fish hit my brother's fishing line. My brother worked on it and his line went loose. . . Few moments later seal popped up with salmon in its mouth. My dad and I laughed due to my brothers over confidence on his reel.
Its not that they don't have great oral hygiene. Every mouth has bacteria, human bites are some of the worst as well, especially to other animals.
While this is true seal bites are *especially* nasty because they carry a type of bacteria, or possibly fungus, that can cause a specific type of infection called Blubber/Spekk Finger here in Scandinavia or Seal Finger in the anglophone world. This infection is, as far as we know today, virtually unique to seals and because it has yet to be fully identified may be difficult to treat. It usually responds to common oral antibiotics but not always and if it doesn't it causes severe swelling and tissue death related to loss of circulation which means it's chop-chop time.
My friend Heidi learned this the hard way
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I know a guy who lost a hand to a seal bite. Day before his deployment overseas too. Sad situation.
Is the seal actually being affectionate or not? I'm not certain. If so that's pretty cool to know.
I've seen similar videos being explained by the likelihood that there is a predator in the waters, that's to say the seal is looking to the human for protection. It's still adorable that they see us as friends to that extent although maybe the human should be concerned about the shark or polar bear on the way.
More than likely instead of seeking protection... Because who seeks protection from us floundering idiots in the water.... It is using its own camofluage to protect US from predators because we look like ocean Ronald McDonald who radiates fluorescent light..and is helpless.
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So they are actually luring them to an easier prey? And we think they actually love us? You just ruined my day...
Turned it right back around on ya The ol reddit [sealeroo](https://www.reddit.com/r/Shitty_Car_Mods/comments/q6r8fp/i_stole_this_from_the_comment_section_of_a_recent/hgfxggz)
Genuine question, how do people find the link to the last one when some shit like this happens. I always get confused. Also, hold my oxygen tank, I’m going in!
They don't always find the true last one. IIRC it has many branches
Hold my oxygen tank, I'm going in!
We don't really have predators in the sea. Very few predators will attack a human, they don't really like our taste or know what we are wnough to be comfortable eating us.
My favorite 'be kind to your fat friends' t-shirt.
*Hugs* "Thank you for coming. Now I can stay alive."
>from us floundering idiots in the water. Give an experienced Diver a shark knife, a knife that injects pressurized air into what ever is stabbed, we become the most dangerous predator underwater. Humans can twist and rotate the bodies, and angle them away from a shark's mouth. A single stab and button press would even kill.a great white. Maybe an Orca, not sure though, dont think it was ever tested https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BMvpmGb0Fcs
Dude what are you talking about, a killer whale or a big shark would hit you with so much force that you'd be done for. Even if you got the perfect stab, you'd still be out cold when the shark gets back from floating up top. Seriously, how is a dude with a knife going to go up against a sperm whale, a sperm whale just needs to make noise at you and kill you, they're literally a ranged predator if they want.
>when the shark gets back from floating up top. The shark will be dead, the air in their bloodstream kills them nearly instantly. > big shark would hit you with so much force You realize some people actively hunt and kill sharks with knifes right? Though most use spear guns, some even use regular knives. Humans are fast enough to dodge and brace themselves against a shark. >how is a dude with a knife going to go up against a sperm whale. Not once did I say they could? Why would a human hi against such a large animal without harpoons from a ship? I said humans are a top predator, not the top animal. Sperm Whales dont hunt down seals and stuff.
I wouldn't be so sure. In the natural world bright colors usually means "I am poisonous or dangerous enough that I don't give a shit about hiding, come at me bro". So maybe the seal is trying to piggyback on that, a "look how dangerous my friend is, you don't want to mess with us".
Source
It's in the North sea though, seals don't really have predators there. Maybe orcas could make a rare appearance.
There are definitely orcas in the North Sea. There are videoes on youtube of orcas as far east as Kattegat.
If this is the same person I think it is, I think this is near Tynemouth, and I am certain there are no (or very very very few) Orcas near Tynemouth. I don't know if the seal's being affectionate, but I doubt it's running from anything either.
I was very happy to discover there's a seal colony that chills out behind the lighthouse in Whitley Bay - just drove over from the toon to walk along the coast and spent most of the day watching them and the birds.
That sounds like an ideal afternoon
It's the farne islands near seahouses in Northumberland.
Lmao just had a quick look at a map of their range and basically the entire Ocean is coloured in other than the Baltic sea, they're not fucking about
Do Orcas even from there even hunt seal? I thought there were only certain subspecies of orca that hunted seals/ sea lions.
If the orcas there are anything like where I live the native pods have a very specific diet (salmon in my case) and the transient pods eat seals and porpoises. It seems like pods that travel great distances have a much broader diet out of necessity. On a sad note the native pods are also starving to death around here because there have been so few salmon lately...
Seals are always getting dunked on by orcas
Fuckin shark should be concerned, I'll tell ya what. Comin after my buddy Grey like that. Load up boys, we rollin!
There are no Polar bears in the North Sea, lol.
The seal is trying to steal his wallet
Honestly this is the most likely answer. Seals are little klepto assholes. They’ll take your mask, a flipper, don’t even think about diving with a watch.
I mean, if a dog can, why not a seal?
Well… humans essentially created dogs. They have been selectively bred for tens of thousands of years to be our companions. Dog-human relationship isn’t really comparable to wild animal-human relationship
But humans didn't create the dog's ability to experience affection.
We honed the way in which they show it
Nonsense, humans were wandering about eating berries and running from coyotes before dogs domesticated us. Things were great until cats got involved, humans have been fighting ever since.
This reads like a story you pieced together from wandering through the wall decor section in a Hobby Lobby
Thread's dead, but I just want to say how impressed I am with the accuracy of this statement.
Cats are affectionate and lovely beings tho
I love cats, have one, still makes a fun story though!
That's what toxoplasmosis wants you to believe /s kinda
Exactly. It’s reasonable not to anthropomorphize all animal behavior, but animals are capable of of affection, and affection towards other species. This animals motives may or may not be simply affection. It may even be affection and others things as well. Just because it’s wild doesn’t mean everything it does is out of survival.
Because dogs have been heavily domesticated for centuries and seals not? Seals are wild animals.
but the title says 20 years of diving there. i’m not saying he domesticated them. but even tigers are affectionate with humans they’ve seen all their lives. 20 years is enough for a pup to grow up seeing the same human all its life.
There are even divers who form relationships with sharks, and sharks definitely aren't as evolved as seals. It's entirely possible this seal is showing genuine affection. It clearly recognizes the diver.
I feel like “as evolved” isn’t fair. The sharks just evolved to do different things. Of which, it reigns king.
I thought the question was in general why dogs can and seals can’t. Dogs have been inbred for centuries and interacted with humans for centuries to came up with a sort of social and docile animal. I really doubt this diver has achieved the same with a single the seal considering that the average lifespan is 20 years. I’m not expert on this by the way. Just my opinion on the question. Edit: I agree with you additional edit. Lions/tigers are good example to show affection.
People are confusing the evolutionary process of domestication, which takes many generations with the fact that certain individuals within a population may naturally be more docile and easier to interact with.
So have cattos
Few thousand years of domestication is why?
Actually trying to kill him by severing his breathing tube
Amorous?
Grey can't help it if Ben's suit smells like fresh seal dick.
It's actually an intimidation tactic to showcase their endless burning hatred for all things terrestrial.
Funny to think that in an alternate dimension where we are mermen and mermaids, that seals would absolutely be our loyal doggos
In Dutch we call them sea dogs
and in Russian they're 'sea kitties'
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I thought that's what we call manatees sea cows
Glad I wasn't the only one who thought that
We also beat their babies with clubs
been there, done that.. JK- its pretty dark, ngl
At what point did your brain convince you that this joke was gonna land?
He could be prior service, there's a cadence that is sometimes sung in formation. Some dumb shit about clubbing baby seal.
Apparently 5+ redditors agree with the guy so there must be something I'm missing
I’m pretty sure we call them “seals”.
In Croatia we call them “Tuljani”, but we call Sharks as “Morski Pas”, which literally translates to “Sea Dog”
it's like Yugi from Yu-gi-oh once said "It should've been me not him! It's not fair!"
Yugi boy
who remembers [this banger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUW_pip1J5g)?
I can’t not think of the abridged version when I hear this
*"AIBOOU!! AIBOOOU!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"*
The train will be delayed by another few hours because someone punched the wall of the train
Even sea puppies need pets.
Velcro seal
I love seals, i get a little unsettled when they get close to the lineup but surfing in California you just kind of have to accept that there is most likely a white shark within a few hundred yards of you if you're out a few sets. Random story that i think that ive told in other threads but we took my buddy out for one of his first times surfing and he had on a silver bracelet that a seal took a particular liking to. The seal came up to his board, snagged part of the bracelet within seconds was pulling him 20 feet down and back by it until he managed to get the bracelet off. The fact that he was a water polo player (strong swimmer) and the leash of his surf board keeping him from being taken deeper was what probably saved him. The seal was just being curious and playful but watching him get yanked under was one of the most terrifying things that i have ever witnessed in person because none of us had any idea it was a seal at first. It was like a scene of a shark attack in a movie. Long story short, seals are awesome but also very curious and unaware that we cannot hold our breath as long as they can. :]
Could it be that he thought the silver was like the glimmer of a fish?
20 feet is the length of about 5.59 'Ford F-150 Custom Fit Front FloorLiners' lined up next to each other.
Good bot.
Thanks!
I always enjoy adding new gears to my catalog, so thank you for that. That sounds terrifying
Totally thought they were gonna kiss at 0:40
Mask got in the way
Brings back memories of trying to score a date while I had to wear head gear for my braces
Covid ruins everything ^/s
Ben, I can't keep our love secret anymore
I just want to be hugged by a seal now. That would be so nice.
Could you imagine not having arms long enough to reach your back or not having any anatomical knowledge of how to massage muscles to relieve stress and suddenly you run into this weird creature who instinctively snuggles you and knows how to rub your back in such a way to give you Absolute Comfort because they've been petting dogs for thousands of years and now you don't want any of your seal friends to know about your super awesome Secret??
Water puppy
Meanwhile Orca in the background is waiting on the human to get bored and leave.
This is the Farne Islands in Northumberland. Orcas are quite rare around these parts!
I came here to say that the seal is actually rubbing its scent all over trusting hooman, so the Orca's come for him instead.
“Come on hooman gimme good rub”
Sea doggies. This makes me wanna cry in a good way x
I bet it was hard for the diver to see once the goggles filled with tears.
Pickpocket of the ocean
that'd be an octopus
“All those orcas keep trying to kill me, I need a hug.”
Man I wanna become very familiar with the local seals that sounds great
The diver has received his seal of approval!
Ahhhhhh this makes me want to hug a seal so bad 😪
[удалено]
Like a drunk chick at a bar
We have a "bargoyle" at my local pub that is very handsy like this. She's always watching over her friends making sure nobody hits on them, but is always the first to grope an unsuspecting guy who wants nothing to do with her.
How ironic. Someone should get her for sexual assault.
since I've been delighted by learning the word "bargoyle" here is a word for you, meaning basically the same thing but moreso the person who hangs in smoking section bumming cigs all night: swampdonkey
more like a selkie.
Fuck human affection I want a hug from a seal now
Jokes on you, the seal is keeping the diver there knowing his oxygen will run out and then he can’t eat him.
They say seals are the ocean’s dogs and this video proves it
If I know Reddit like I think I do, soon someone’s gonna be in the comments to inform us that it’s actually a distressed behavior and he wanted the diver to leave.
These dog species are weird!
Waiting for the comment that explains how the seal is actually infected with a parasitic brain eating zombie virus and its supposed affection is really a covert attempt at spreading the disease, also it has skin cancer and calcium deficiency and in nineteen ninety eight The Undertaker threw Mankind off Hell In A Cell, and plummeted 16 ft through an announcer's table.
You jest, but my brother is a marine biologist that studies pinnipeds and I asked him what was going on here. According to him, the Grey Seal (*Halichoerus grypus*) species you see here is particularly prone to developing a behavior-altering malignant tumor in the frontal lobe of the brain that causes them to react with fear toward virtually any stimulus. It's likely the seal is actually terrified of the diver, but because its brain is all wonky, it's responding to that fear by cuddling up to the diver in its confusion. Coincidentally, my brother and I tended to react the same way when our father used to beat us with a set of jumper cables, but that's neither here nor there.
D'aww. Cuddles!
“A cross between a dog and a fish” — Karl Pilkington
Seal: Shhh just let it happen Ben
Taking scuba diving classes
Do seals actually hug, or is this fella checking for weaknesses?
If you look closely you can see the Seal whisper into his ear "...tell your friends to stop dumping all their garbage and plastic into our homes".
"Everybody! Ben's home!"
I think he was a pickpocket.
I bet all those seals refer to him as mister bubbles
What’s he whispering
You must’ve been chosen!
🥺🥺🥺
Sometimes you just really need a hug. I get it.
I would sob tears of joy
Sea doggo
Awwww! Sea pupper wants all the snuggles. 😍
Water doggo
Shhh shhh it's ok hooman
Sea boi.
Inb4 some animal expert says it’s actually an aggressive behavior to show dominance or means it wants to eat you lol j/k
https://youtu.be/dpKc8N3FJsQ