Suzan was thrilled by what she saw
09:38, 09 Aug 2026Updated 12:00, 09 Aug 2026
Some of the seals Suzan discovered
A woman was left astonished after finding about 40 seals in Cornwall. Suzan Hasanli, who studies at the University of Warwick, had been hoping to catch a glimpse of a few seals on a visit there.
However, after exploring several spots along the coast without success, she and her friend decided to investigate one final location. Their persistence was rewarded when they uncovered dozens of seals.
Suzan described being “absolutely shocked” upon realising the number of creatures there. The seals seemed remarkably playful, gliding through the surf, sliding about and repeatedly engaging with one another.
Suzan said they resembled “best friends”, with the group continuously remaining in close proximity and socialising. She said: “I saw around 40 seals at once, which was incredible.
Suzan Hasanli
“I remember standing there in complete silence, staring because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.” The student had never previously visited that specific location and was aware that seals frequently inhabit the spot – but expressed amazement at the sheer volume assembled there.
She had already explored several similar-looking spots along the shoreline without discovering anything. With the excursion seemingly drawing to a close, she and her friend opted to investigate one final area.
That’s when they encountered the enormous gathering. Suzan said: “That’s when we found them all.”
She spent around 30 minutes observing the seals as they frolicked in and around the water. While some remained there, others made their way towards the ocean, with one large group suddenly appearing to bound out together, heading for the sea.
Suzan noted that some seals seemed to deliberate over whether to join the others, while some appeared perfectly content to remain where they were. She described the spectacle as “very funny to watch”.
Video grab of the playful seals sliding around and repeatedly approaching one another
The student said the experience was made all the more extraordinary by the fact that only she and her friend were present. 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.”
Although Suzan had previously seen many photos and videos of seals online, she said seeing them behaving naturally in the wild was an entirely different experience altogether. 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 seemed utterly unfazed by the harsh conditions, repeatedly plunging through the surf and frolicking together.
Suzan recalled: “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 encounter left her feeling remarkably fortunate to have witnessed such an extraordinary spectacle. She explained: “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 revealed the discovery was all the more remarkable given she had nearly cancelled the outing altogether.
She continued: “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 footage went viral, racking up more than 925,000 views, alongside 188,000 likes and 445 comments.
One viewer quipped: “big ahh slugs.” Another remarked: “Just out here bloopin and blorpin.”
Another gushed: “Sea puppy’s awh.” Yet another admitted: “I’ve been to Cornwall before but I’ve never seen seals.” And Charlotte wrote: “no thoughts just boing boing.”