As a wildlife photographer, Patrik Luther has found himself in the middle of many breathtaking animal encounters. But one unexpected discovery a few months ago was unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
It all started when Luther ventured into a small forest outside of his home in Norrtälje, Sweden, one March morning. He arrived before sunrise, hoping to photograph a colony of beavers. But as he hiked through the woods, he soon met a different wild visitor.
“When I was walking, I saw a big [gray] stone in front of me that I just ignored,” Luther wrote on Instagram. “Suddenly, [he] moved, and I realized that [he] was a seal in the middle of the forest. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
Patrik Luther
Luther was stunned by the seal pup’s presence and quickly dropped to the ground to avoid any confrontation.
“I laid down as soon as I realized that it was a seal and hoped to remain unseen,” Luther told The Dodo.
Patrik Luther
But the photographer wasn’t as inconspicuous as he’d hoped. The curious seal sensed his presence right away and crawled over to get a closer look.
“He started towards me, and when [he] was too close for me to stay hidden, I talked to the seal to make him aware of me when he was still a few meters away,” Luther said. “I’d like to think that it would have been much more scary for him to spot me once he was right next to me.”
The seal pup didn’t seem scared at all, though. He got as close to Luther as possible, sniffing him until he was satisfied with his investigation.
You can watch their encounter here:
Luther stayed still on the ground while the seal pup checked him out for around 35 minutes. In between sniffs, the seal pup took breaks to look at the distant sea. Then, when he was satisfied with his investigation, the pup scooted over to the water.
Patrik Luther
On the shore, Luther remained stunned by the encounter. He waited around for the beavers he’d initially hoped to photograph, but they never appeared. Still, he had plenty of footage of the baby seal who’d now made his way back home 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.”
Patrik Luther
Luther left the forest that day with a camera roll filled with footage of a baby he never planned on encountering and a memory that will last a lifetime.
“This is a meeting that I will never forget,” Luther said. “I’ve had a few encounters like this one, but it’s easily in my top three experiences as a wildlife photographer.”
To keep up with Patrik Luther’s wildlife encounters, you can follow him on Instagram.
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