Angela Barton was taking her dogs for a morning walk down Gordon’s Zigzag at Southbourne Beach, when she spotted the animal from a distance.
She said she “couldn’t quite believe it” when she saw the animal, describing the seal as one of the largest she had ever seen.
She said: “He was ridiculously big.
“I was so excited, I have never seen one up close before.”
The encounter happened around 10am on a cloudy morning, which Angela said made the experience more peaceful, with fewer people around to disturb the animal.
“If it had been really sunny, it wouldn’t have been the same,” she said.
She tied up her dogs and got close enough to take a video and a photograph but was careful to keep a safe distance.
Angela said: “I think I could have just stood there forever.”
She said a small dog approached and barked at the seal, which made it retreat into the water.
Angela said that while she had seen seals from a distance before, this was her first close-up encounter.
She described watching the seal “galumph,” a term used for the way they move on their bellies, and said it was fascinating to see the animal’s behaviour up close.
There have been several reports of seals coming on to beaches for a spot of sunbathing and Dorset Wildlife Trust has reminded people that this is ‘completely normal’.
A previous social media post from the trust said: “Seals are very mobile marine mammals and travel hundreds of kilometres, but it is completely normal for them to come ashore to rest so they can recover lost energy, digest their food and they will also haul out for longer periods during their moulting season.
“It’s important that they are given plenty of space to rest without being disturbed.”
There are two species of seal native to UK waters – grey seals and common (or harbour) seals – and both can be found in Dorset.
They are highly mobile marine mammals, capable of covering hundreds of kilometres and remaining at sea for days at a time, according to Dorset Wildlife Trust.
Seals will often come ashore – known as hauling out – which involves simply resting and to also aid digestion.