Wild Sea Lion Embraces Unsuspecting Teenager In The Hug Of A Lifetime

It’s always interesting to get up close and personal with wild animals. At times, we may want to keep a safe distance but at other times, it’s just interesting when we can get as close as possible.

For a 15-year-old teenager on vacation, however, getting close to an animal was about to take a turn in an unexpected direction. It happened while Ethan Becker was snorkeling with his father.

According to SWNS, as they were having some fun in the ocean, they saw a sea lion that was headed in their direction. The father, Chuck, thought that he would get some pictures so he took out his camera. Little did he realize that his pictures would go viral online.

As you can see, the animal wanted nothing more than just to play a little bit with Ethan. They were snorkeling in the Gulf of California just off the coast of Mexico. The sea lion decided that it would give a hug to Ethan and then come over for a closer look at Chuck.

It seemed as if the sea lion was curious about Chuck’s flippers but he didn’t stick around very long. In the moment, which was described as unforgettable, it was there, gave the hug, and then was gone.

Ethan had a difficult time describing the experience because it was completely unexpected. He said: “It felt so euphoric in that moment that I almost forgot to put the snorkel in my mouth so I could breathe!”

He admitted that he should’ve been more frightened that the sea lion would have bitten him but the thought never crossed his mind.

Watch it for yourself in this video: