by Katie Alston

kalston@thekmgroup.co.uk

Beach-goers in Herne Bay got a shock when this cute little fella flopped along the seafront to catch some rays.

The young seal pup was spotted soaking up the early spring sunshine close to the water’s edge yesterday.

He caused quite a stir, sparking several calls to Thames coastguard and RSPCA officer.

One onlooker reported the seal had been there since 6.30am.

As crowds began to gather, a coastguard team was sent to check the seal was safe and hadn’t sustained any injuries.

RSPCA inspector Caroline Doe also headed down to the beach along with two concerned vets.

Miss Doe said: “It is unusual for a seal to come up on to Herne Bay beach and stay for so long.

“They more often than not come ashore at Broadstairs.

“There were lots of people gathered around, and although the seal looked harmless, we would always warn people to stay away, as they have a very nasty bite.

“If people are concerned then we always urge them to give us a call, but never approach them.

“When seals are on land they are vulnerable and can be unpredictable. This particular seal was quite young as he still had some of his fur.”

At around 4pm as vets tried to restrain the seal to check his condition he headed back into the water by himself.

Miss Doe added: “He did have a good body weight and had no visible injuries, so we weren’t too worried about his future safety.”

Did you see the friendly seal? Leave a comment below and tell us all about it.