A student was left stunned after stumbling across around 40 seals playing together inside a hidden Cornish cave.
Suzan Hasanli, a student at the University of Warwick, had hoped to spot a few seals during a visit to Polly Joke Beach in Cornwall.
But after checking several caves along the coastline without seeing any, she and her friend decided to try one final spot.
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And their gamble paid off when they discovered dozens of seals gathered together inside.
Suzan said she was “absolutely shocked” when she realised how many animals were there.
The seals appeared to be incredibly playful, swimming through the waves, sliding around and repeatedly approaching one another, as reported by Whats The Jam.
Suzan said they looked like “best friends”, with the group constantly staying close together and interacting.
She said: “I saw around 40 seals at once, which was incredible.
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“I remember standing there in complete silence, staring because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
The student had never visited that particular spot before and understood that seals regularly use the cave – but said she was amazed by the sheer number gathered there.
She had already checked several similar-looking caves along the coastline without finding anything.
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With the trip seemingly coming to an end, she and her friend decided to check one last cave.
That’s when they found the huge group.
Suzan said: “We had checked several caves without seeing any seals and were actually about to head back, but decided to try one last cave.
“That’s when we found them all.”
She watched the seals for around 30 minutes as they played in and around the water.
Some remained inside the cave while others headed towards the ocean, with one large group suddenly appearing to bounce out of the cave and make its way towards the sea together.
Suzan said some of the seals seemed to watch on as if deciding whether to join the others, while others appeared perfectly happy to stay put.
She described the behaviour as “very funny to watch”.
The student said the sight was particularly special because there was nobody else around apart from her friend.
She added: “It was definitely the highlight of the entire trip.
“I had only expected to maybe see one or two seals, if any at all.
“When I finally saw how many seals were there, I was absolutely shocked. It was so special seeing them. It felt unreal.”
Suzan had seen plenty of photographs and videos of seals online before, but said seeing them behaving naturally in the wild was completely different.
She said: “I’ve always loved seals and have seen countless photos and videos of them online, but seeing them in the wild was a completely different experience.
“Watching them in their natural habitat, behaving naturally and interacting with each other, was something I will never forget.”
The seals appeared to be having no trouble enjoying themselves despite the conditions, with the group repeatedly swimming through the waves and playing together.
Suzan said: “The weather was awful – extremely windy, rainy, and cold, with rough waves crashing against the shore – but the seals seemed to be having the time of their lives, constantly swimming through the waves and playing with each other.”
The experience left her feeling incredibly lucky to have witnessed the unusual gathering.
She said: “Being able to observe them so closely, without barriers or enclosures, made the experience feel truly special.
“I was extremely happy and felt very lucky to witness it. I still feel the same way since.”
Suzan said the discovery was made even more memorable by the fact she had almost decided not to make the trip.
She added: “I almost didn’t go because of the weather, but I’m so glad I did because it turned into one of the most memorable wildlife experiences I’ve ever had.”
The student’s video went viral, being viewed over 925,000 times, with 188,000 likes and 445 comments.
One user joked: “big ahh slugs.”
Another person added: “Just out here bloopin and blorpin.”
One person said: “Sea puppy’s awh.”
Another person added: “I’ve been to Cornwall before but I’ve never seen seals.”
Charlotte said: “no thoughts just boing boing.”
