Cheeky grey seal follows walker 400 metres along the River Don in South Yorkshire

The seal - believed to have pursued salmon up the partly-tidal river from the Humber estuary - spent ten minutes following delighted walker Mark Hudson.

Mark - who caught the four-foot furry creature on camera on Sunday - told how the seal swam beside him and partner Sharon Hathaway for 400 metres.

Amazed Mark described watching in awe as the inquisitive marine mammal paddled alongside ‘staring at us as we walked along’.

Sales manager Mark, 50, said: “He was definitely looking at us and kept swimming up close to see if we were still there.

“As we crept closer to the river bank he would duck back underwater and then pop up again 20-30 seconds later 20 metres away.

“He wasn't scared at all - it was pretty spectacular.”

However the plucky sea creature - which Mark said looked ‘like a big dog’ - eventually disappeared as he and Sharon neared a bridge.

Mark said: “A friend of mine involved in conservation tells me they do come up this far a few times a year.

“But we couldn’t believe what we were seeing.”

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