Cute Baby Elephant Seal Cuddles Up To Tourist

Canadian Charlene Fritz, 35, encountered the curious baby during an expedition to Snow Hill Island in the Antarctic Peninsula.

The seal was no more than two months old but already weighed a whopping 200lb.

Fortunately yoga enthusiast Charlene was able to perform a reclining hero pose to prolong the magical encounter - as a friend captured filmed them.

Charlene, from Saskatchewan, said: "The seal climbed on top of me without hesitation. We shared a very sweet moment in time I will never forget."

"Her mouth was all pink inside and her eyes were amazing to look into. Like the deepest depths of the sea. I could have stared into her eyes forever."

She added: "It was made very clear to me that I was in no way allowed to touch her with my hands or approach her."

"She came to me from across the beach and made all of the decisions to cuddle up. I wanted to hug her so badly."

"Physically she felt like a big dough ball, super warm and like she had no bones. She did not smell of fish or have bad breath. She had never even eaten a fish at that point in her life."

Charlene, who recorded the footage in December 2011 but has only just released it, had at first wondered why the seal was so friendly but later learned about the harsh weaning process.

She said: "Basically the mother fattens them up with her milk for a month or so, then abandons them on the beach."

"They have never been in the ocean to learn to fish or anything and basically lay there starving until they figure out to take the leap of faith and go into the sea."

"This is why they can be so sweet and looking for love, I guess."

However, an encounter with a full-grown elephant would have been a different prospect.

Males of the species can weigh up to two tonnes and are known to have a nasty temper during mating season as the battle to control harems of females.