I’m sure that a lot of us have all made new pals while on vacation. The fact that making friends with strangers from other countries often results in long-lasting relationships gives socializing with them a curiously supernatural feel.
What if I told you that this behavior isn’t just a human phenomenon, though? Recently, a dog named Stanley and his owner visited Cornwall to explore the area’s Cornish seal sanctuary. While there, Stanley became friends with a seal pup by the name of Aayla. They subsequently hit a few positions. And everyone said the word “Aww!”
Soon after accessing the underwater viewing facilities, Stanley’s attention was drawn to a large seal pup named Aayla who lived permanently in the seal sanctuary. Through the glass wall of the tank, their eyes met, and Aayla was intrigued by his new friend. Aayla is said to have dived to the window and continued swimming while constantly focusing on the 2-year-old dachshund. About 20 minutes were spent by the two conversing and snapping pics of one another.
According to Georgina Shannon of the Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary, “Aayla is frequently seen close to the underwater viewing platform; she likes connecting with humans and dogs.” “Aayla has made dog friends before, even though she seemed to like Stanley. We routinely receive pictures from our guests showing her socializing with other dogs.”
Aayla might have mistaken Stanley for another seal because he was dressed in a doggy jacket and had his ears tucked into a snoot due to the cold. She started to mimic some behaviors, like waving at the dog and cocking her head in the direction that most dogs do. “I think she was genuinely charmed by him,” Georgina Shannon said in further detail. You can tell from the pictures that she was truly interested in him and that she looked at him for a long time through the glass.
Shannon stated, “Aayla is a very playful seal that enjoys playing with the other seals. She enjoys creeping up on the group and harassing the other seals while they are relaxing in the sun. Aayla is extremely intelligent and quick to pick up new material during her training sessions. Despite having her flipper only half severed, she keeps up with the others and causes plenty of trouble!
Talbot, the dachshund’s owner, stated that they hit it off right away. Because of the way they were poking their noses at the glass, it appeared as though they were whispering to one another. They then posed for the camera in several different ways, with Aayla’s slanted head giving her a dog-like appearance rather than a seal. The owner added that dachshunds’ legs are tucked under while they sleep, giving them the look of seals. Why else would these two not become friends at first sight? They are both puppies, after all!
For more than 60 years, the Cornish Seal Sanctuary has been rescuing seal pups from all around Cornwall and offering care and a permanent home to animals in need. Shannon said that after being released, our seal pups “travel far and wide,” something many people are unaware of. According to reports, one of our freed puppies has been spotted in Ireland. Each pup we release has a flipper tag with a number on it, so if they are sighted, we can identify whose seal it is by looking at their tag number, which allows us to gather this information.
