Wildlife photographer Patrik Luther has had his share of unforgettable encounters behind the lens — but one frosty March morning in Norrtälje, Sweden, he stumbled onto something that left him completely stunned.
Luther had set out before dawn, hoping to photograph a colony of beavers along the water’s edge. As he trekked through the quiet woods, his attention fell on what looked like a large, gray stone blocking the path. He barely gave it a second thought — until the “stone” started to breathe.
“To my shock, it moved,” Luther wrote on Instagram. “I realized it was a seal in the middle of the forest. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
Startled, Luther dropped to the ground, hoping not to scare the young pup.
But the seal had already noticed him. Instead of retreating, the curious animal shuffled closer, intent on investigating.
“He started towards me, and when he was a few meters away, I gently spoke to him so he wouldn’t be startled,” Luther told The Dodo.
You can watch their encounter here:
Far from frightened, the seal pup sniffed at the photographer with fearless curiosity. For nearly 35 minutes, the unlikely pair shared the forest floor — Luther lying still, the seal pausing between sniffs to glance longingly toward the distant sea.
Eventually, satisfied with his inspection, the little wanderer turned and began making his way back toward the water.
From a distance, Luther watched as the pup slowly scooted across the muddy ground until he finally reached the first trickle that led back to the ocean.
“I’ve been told afterwards that they have an excellent sense of smell, which is likely how he knew where to go,” Luther said. “I watched from further away as he kept crawling. It took him about 20 minutes to reach the first muddy water, which would later connect to a bigger body of water. That’s when I was sure he’d made it all the way, and I left.”
That morning, the beavers never appeared. But Luther walked away with something far rarer — footage of an unexpected encounter and a story he’ll never forget.
“This is easily in my top three wildlife experiences,” Luther reflected. “I set out looking for beavers and instead met a seal in the forest. Nature is full of surprises.”
You can follow more of Patrik Luther’s adventures on Instagram.
