When you’re sailing out to sea, miles away from civilization, you’re not necessarily going to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.
So when this man from California sailed out to sea one day and came face to face with an unusual passenger, he had to document the whole thing on camera!
James Gilkinson was out sailing with his eleven year old niece when the surprise guest first made an appearance on his boat, approximately two miles off the coast of Newport Beach, California. The sea lion pup was apparently swimming around the boat for a while before climbing onto the boat as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do.
Speaking to CBS News, James said,
“He just kinda looked tired so I figured he’s just get up onto the splash deck and rest- and sure enough he did.”
However, the sea lion wanted to show his appreciation to the kind owners of the boat for letting him join, so before long, he started to approach James. In the beginning of the video, you can hear him asking his niece not to touch the pup, but it soon becomes clear that this little guy just wants to be friends! James said:
“He sniffed me, after that he came up to me and started rubbing his nose up and down my leg, (he) pretty much spent over an hour just resting there.”
What’s so surprising about the video is how affectionate the sea lion looks! It’s as if he’s put his full trust into James and just wants to cuddle up with him.
Eventually, James and his niece had to return to the harbor, so it was time to say goodbye to the cuddly pup. It seems like the sea lion understood James’ command, as when the sailor told him it was time to go he jumped off from the ship quite happily! James said:
“When I got to the mouth of Newport Beach, I stood up so that he saw it was time to go. He worked is way towards the back, and once he was there he jumped off and belly flopped into the water, and that was it.”
We can imagine that this was an experience that James and his niece will never forget!
James told The Huffington Post that he had spoken with other sailors in the area and confirmed what he initially thought: This type of thing “just doesn’t happen.” There are guidelines that state that members of the public should not approach wild sea lions, but James assures us all that “it was completely on the sea lion’s terms.”
You can tell by Jame’s smile how happy he is to have experienced such close contact with a sea lion, and he tells CBS News:
“It was truly amazing, I was beside myself the whole time. Every second was surreal.”
Watching the video ourselves, we’re super jealous that James got to experience cuddles with this friendly little pup. Does anyone have any sailing tips?…
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