Sealed with a kip: This sun-loving seal looks the picture of contentment as he enjoys a bask in the sun in Wells, Norfolk
This seal looked the very picture of contentment grinning from ear to ear when it was spotted enjoying a bask in the sun.
The ingenious animal had lifted himself out of the cold water and found a warm spot on an abandoned dinghy close to the shore.
The adorable pictures were captured by amateur photographer Mike Arthur as he enjoyed a stroll along the beach in Wells, Norfolk.
The 67-year-old retired personnel manager, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, said the seal caused quite a sensation among walkers on the beach.
He added: 'It was an exceptionally bright and warm day and the seal was simply enjoying it. 'At first people were just walking along the path next to the where the dinghy was and they didn’t even notice him.
Life's a beach: The animal had lifted himself out of the cold water and found a warm spot on an abandoned dinghy close to the shore
What's going on:The adorable animal is woken from his slumber aboard the abandoned dinghy
'I only spotted him because I was looking for boats to photograph.
'I’ve never seen anything like it before. Usually seals can be seen just bobbing along in the water.
'I was only about 10 feet away from him.
'I went for a stroll along the beach and when I came back he was still there.
Curious: The sun-loving animal had gone unnoticed until amateur photographer Mike Arthur spotted him as he enjoyed a stroll along the beach
'By that time there was a huge number of people who had gathered to have a look at him.
'He was there at least an hour and seemed quite unfazed by the attention he was getting.
'In one picture he looks like he’s smiling and in another he’s staring out towards the camera with a look of curiosity.
'I think he was watching us as much as we were watching him.
'Everybody was smiling. It was such a happy scene.'
source: dailymail