Pam's delight after close encounter with a seal near Felpham beach

Pam, who lives nearby, said it was an experience she will ‘never forget’, and couldn’t believe it when the animal came up beside her from underneath the waves.

"We swam parallel for a while only a couple of metres apart. The seal would then dive down into the sea and, wondering where it was, I would suddenly feel it brush gently by my legs!”

Seals are well known for their kind, playful nature, but some males grow to be eight feet long and weigh up to 350kgs, so it must have been terrifying at first. Sooner rather than later, though, Pam realised what the seal really wanted.