A playful seal was spotted fishing in the River Thames near Kingston today (Wednesday, February 12).

Fisherman and resident Warwick Salzer spotted the jovial seal while out on the water.

He described his joy at capturing the animal on film:

"We came across this big grey seal and I knew straight away.

"I've been here 21 years and I've seen a few seals in my time but never this far up. This was in Kingston Town Centre," he told the Comet.

Surrey Comet: Warwick SalzerWarwick Salzer

Warwick, who runs a fishing charter business, captured several shots of the seal rolling and bobbing up in the water as it apparently looked for fish to eat.

"I've been on the river for such a while now and every day you see something new. Today was no exception," Warwick said.

A study published in September 2019 revealed that the Thames was home to 138 new seal pups, despite the population being declared "biologically dead" in the 1950s.

They are generally found nearer the coast on the Thames Estuary but are known to forage for food downriver.