Sea lions are just puppies in the water. They are playful and silly, they even make barking sounds when they are excited. So it makes sense that dogs and sea lions are great friends, but that’s not something we usually see.
A sea lion named Sammy observed a Labrador Retriever named Moe (short for Mokuleia) during his puppy’s daily walks along the beach. It seems that he longs to be friends with this dog, but he doesn’t know how. So when Sammy finally approached Moe to start a beautiful friendship, Moe’s human made sure to document it.
Moe Meets Sammy
Photographer Dave “Nelly” Nelson walks Moe along a beach in Santa Cruz, California, almost daily. Moe loves to play catch in the water and holds the ball in her mouth as she walks. Recently, Nelson noticed Sammy in the water watching Moe, but the sea lion didn’t seem ready to introduce himself.
One day, Sammy bravely swam to shore to meet Moe. Moe happily approached Sammy, and the two got on well.
“Moe dropped her ball (she never did) and she waded out a few feet,” Nelson said. “They ended up together and sniffing each other and going nose for a second, I was blown away. It was clear that they liked each other and Sammy even let out a few soft barks to say hello. “
While Nelson didn’t record the scene of Moe and Sammy’s first greeting, he decided to film something else. When Moe and Sammy seemed comfortable together, he wanted to see if the sea lion would play catch with the dog.
The beginning of a beautiful friendship
Nelson threw Moe’s ball into the water, and of course, the dog gave chase. But to Nelson’s surprise, Sammy jumped too. Moe was faster, but even as Moe grabbed the ball and ran back to shore, Sammy followed her as long as he could.
The two have been playing together for a while, and it’s one of the most heartwarming things you’ll see all week. Nelson filmed them playing fetch and posted it on his Instagram page.
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“They started playing and even playing fetch together,” wrote Nelson. “To say it’s beautiful would be an understatement.”
Sea lions befriending a dog is probably not what you expect to see today, but it’s the best way to brighten anyone’s day. So check out this heartwarming new friendship!
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