Encountering wildlife up close is always fascinating.

Just ask diver Gary Grayson, who encountered a gray seal in its natural habitat.

The seal didn’t seem the least bit afraid of Gary, and instead did something that makes me love wildlife even more.

It happened while Gary was diving near the Scilly Isles off the coast of southwest England. He spotted two gray seals. One seal was a bit shy, while the other didn’t seem to be afraid of Gary or his dive equipment at all.

The seal swam up to Gary and touched its nose to his.

The diver didn’t really understand what the curious seal wanted, so he stretched out his hand. The seal took hold of it and slowly pulled it to its stomach.

“This grey seal came across and had five minutes with me, kind of thing. Then another was climbing up my leg,” Grayson told M.E.N.

“I’m an experienced diver but I have never known anything like that… I tend to live life on the edge. But this was certainly up there with anything I have ever done.”

It turns out that the seal just wanted a little love—and a belly rub.

“It really shows how sweet, curious and dog-like seals are,” Ally McMillan, CEO of Seal Rescue Island, told the Huffington Post.

Sometimes, there’s nothing like a gray seal to brighten up a gray day!

See the full video here:

This amazing video shows Worsley scuba diver Gary Grayson playing with a rather friendly seal underwater. He was diving off the Isles of Scilly when the seal started frolicking with him on a kelp bed. So cute. Full story: http://bit.ly/1Jrz0O1

Posted by Manchester Evening News on Monday, August 31, 2015
It’s so awesome that Gary filled this awesome encounter so we can all experience it, too. Please share this video with all of your friends who love animals!