A friendly grey seal has been recorded giving a scuba diver a hug just off the Farne Islands.
The heart-warming clip was captured at a depth of 10m by Ben Burville, a local doctor, who regularly dives in the area.
In the clip, the grey seal is seen embracing the diver who gives him an affectionate scratch on the back.
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Dr Burville, a GP in Amble, has a passion for marine life and a background, prior to medicine, in marine biology.
Over the last 17 years he has developed considerable experience filming grey seals and built up a strong friendship with them.
He said: 'They taught me how to dive and how to behave underwater'.
'I hadn't seen that seal before. I rarely see the same seal. They all individual personalities and behave in certain ways.'
He regularly films seals as well as other marine creatures including dolphins, gannets and underwater auks.
For more seal footage, his YouTube channel can be found here.
