Sunny dip gets seal of approval
MOOLOOLABA beachgoers are used to seeing visitors frolicking in the water but they're usually not as cute as the little bloke who put on a show yesterday.
The fur seal drew quite a crowd to the river end of the beach when he decided to drop in and have a frolick.
Bobbing up and down in the water not far offshore, the seal was oblivious to the crowd that gathered on the shoreline to watch.
New Zealand visitor Cameron Brewer said it was the last thing he had expected to see and would be high on the list of highlights he would talk about back home.
"I brought my daughter over to get some sunshine. We weren't expecting to see a seal," Mr Brewer said.
"It was quite a surprise."
The seal put on quite a show - coming in close to the shore, stopping at times to play in the water and raising its head to have a look around.
"It was just bobbing around. It appeared quite social," Mr Brewer said.
"Perhaps it's a sign that if the water is cold enough for a seal we should stick to the pool."
Many were left wondering where the seal had come from, however the sighting isn't the first.
The Coast has had more than its fair share of close encounters recently, with fur seals popping up at Caloundra and Coolum.
Whether it's the same seal travelling up and down the Coast or several different ones making one-off appearances, no one knows.
But for people like Hazel Friend, it doesn't really matter and the experience will be a lasting memory.
"For me to say I have seen a seal in the wild is amazing," she said.
Originally from the United Kingdom, but an Australian resident for 10 years, Mrs Friend was visiting Mooloolaba for the day from Brisbane.
"I never knew there were penguins in Sydney let alone a seal in Mooloolaba," she said.
"You go to a zoo and pay to see that."
