Over-friendly seal is escorted out of the Norfolk Broads after surprising beachgoers

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You’ve sealed your fate! Over-eager seal called Sally is escorted out of the Norfolk Broads after surprising paddleboarders as yet ANOTHER of the creatures causes mischief this summer

  • The animal, nicknamed Sally, delighted and shocked people having fun on water
  • Some tourists even jumped in to swim with her at Womack Staithe near Ludham
  • It is the fifth time a seal has been spotted across the country this month alone

By Tom Pyman For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

An over-friendly seal has been escorted out of the Norfolk Broads because it kept joining holidaymakers on their kayaks and paddle boards.

The female common seal nicknamed Sally delighted and shocked people having fun on the water by hopping on to their craft unannounced.

She appeared so friendly that some tourists were seen trying to stroke her or even jumping in the water to swim with her at Womack Staithe near Ludham.

It is the fifth time a seal has been spotted in water across the country in August alone.

Sally the seal surprised this woman by hopping onto her kayak on the Norfolk Broads unannounced

The inquisitive mammals stole the hearts of those on the water after popping up unexpectedly

The inquisitive mammals stole the hearts of those on the water after popping up unexpectedly

Seals spotted across the country this month

August 25: Paddle boarders Daren Ford and Kerrie Rocket filmed the moment Gavin the seal climbed aboard for a rise along the River Arun near Littlehampton in West Sussex.

August 17: Sammy the seal has become a regular sight for beachgoers in Weymouth but paddle boarder Buster Cottam told This Morning how ‘gentle’ Sammy was similar to a dog, staying in a ‘deep sleep’ on his board – while occasionally ‘stretching and yawning’.

August 13: Marine biologist Ellen Husain filmed the moment she swam with two seals near Falmouth on the south coast of Cornwall. In the clip, one of the mammals becomes very interested in her flippers before swimming off. 

August 6: Chris Van Hayden was out on the River Thames in London with his friend Salvatore Chiocca near Syon House, opposite Kew Gardens, when a brave seal jumped onto his boat, before spending 15 minutes playing with the rowers, winning over the affections of its unlikely friends.  

Local shop manager David Benbow, 35, said Sally suddenly appeared on Thursday last week after swimming 15 miles up the River Bure and River Thurne from the sea.

Despite her having a plentiful supply of freshwater fish to eat, he decided to try and return her to the sea as he feared she would end up biting someone.

Mr Benbow and shop assistant Terri Croft, 18, successfully used dead fish as bait to lure Sally into following their boat back towards the sea on the ebbing Spring tide on Monday night

Mr Benbow said: ‘It was nice to have her around. She just turned up out of nowhere. I had never seen a seal so far away from the sea.

‘She kept on hopping on to paddle boards and inflatable kayaks to see what was going on, and giving the impression that she was tame and gentle.

‘One woman had no idea she was there and had quite a fright when she turned round and saw this seal on her kayak. The look on her face was priceless.

‘At first we thought she was jumping on board for a rest, but then I found out that seals can rest in the water and she was just being inquisitive.

‘We managed to borrow a kayak so she could jump on and off it – but she still wanted to see what other people were up to.

‘It was a bit of a worry because some people were trying to stroke her. Children in dinghies were interacting with her and even swimming with her.

‘We felt she was becoming a danger to the public because seals can easily bite if you get too close to them.

The over-friendly seal also surprised this holidaymaker by jumping onto his paddle board

The over-friendly seal also surprised this holidaymaker by jumping onto his paddle board

It is the fifth time a seal has been spotted in water across the country this month alone

It is the fifth time a seal has been spotted in water across the country this month alone

‘People thought she was friendly, but she was a wild animal and it was possibly only a matter of time before a child got bitten.

‘She was also at risk from the propellers of boats and cruisers.’

Mr Benbow realised that Sally was a three-year-old female after seeing an identifying tag from when she had been rescued as a pup.

He took advice from Norfolk wildlife charity Seal and Shore Watch UK who told him how best to help Sally back to the sea.

Mr Benbow waited for the high Spring tide on Monday evening so she could be carried by the fast-moving water as she followed his boat.

He said: ‘We had plenty of dead fish to tempt her because we sell bait for pike fishing. We didn’t want to feed her too much, but we did not need to.

‘She happily swam behind my boat and at one stage she even hopped on to the kayak we were towing to get a lift.’

Mr Benbow said that he managed to get Sally as far as Stokesby on the River Bure, still around seven miles form the sea, as darkness fell.

He added: ‘By the time we got to Stokesby after around two and a half hours, it was getting very dark.

‘Once again, we hung back from her and she continued without us until we lost sight of her in the darkness.

‘We then headed back to Womack with our navigation lights on, feeling sad as we will miss her and her antics, but very happy that we had achieved a successful rescue ourselves. ‘