Sammy the baby seal surfs in San Diego

Playful pup climbs on to surfers' boards and catching waves

A wild baby seal nicknamed Sammy has been catching waves with surfers in San Diego, California, after flopping on to their boards.

Local drone camera operator Ed Hartel, who filmed the playful pinniped's "weird behaviour", captured footage of the young seal in recent weeks.

"On the second week when I observed his behaviour, it felt like he was trying to catch the waves with the surfer," Mr Hartel said.

He said SeaWorld San Diego had sent out teams several times to look at Sammy and determined the creature to be healthy.

"He's not in any type of danger or struggle," Mr Hartel said.

San Diego is also home to a very different type of seal. The US Navy trains Seal commandos across the bay in Coronado, where they undergo brutal initiations into the elite force.