A viral underwater encounter off the Southern California coast is melting hearts, but the diver behind it said he hopes it changes how people see the ocean.
On his Instagram account, free diver Rusty Hunter has shared videos of repeated encounters with the same curious seal off the Laguna Beach coast, swimming around him, tapping his mask, even lingering beside him.
“Don't you think a seal would have something better to do with its time, whether it's going to scout fish or mating things…and then here you have it, semi-consistently coming to play with a human,” he told KNX News’ Nataly Tavidian. “That's what goes through my head. Is there something in her mind that values a relationship?”
Hunter said while it feels like a bond, he’s careful with that word, adding that the animal is wild, and should stay that way. What he does hope is that his videos are encouraging people to respect the ocean.
“I really believe that these seal interactions aren't just happening with people,” he said. “You know, splashing around and leaving trash everywhere, and I think there is some recognition there, that we're not there to hurt them, that we're not interfering with what they're doing.”
He added that he hopes the videos inspire people to get outside and protect the natural world.
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