Having a new friend is probably one of the most exciting moments in our lives. Most often than not, we get to meet a new friend somewhere far from home and there’s this strange feeling that makes us more socially inclined when we are outside than when we are at home. Would you agree?

Well, believe it or not, this happens to animals too! Just like this Dachshund who went on a vacation and met a new friend along the way.

This dachshund was on a vacation escapade when he met his new friend, a baby seal!

A dachshund named Stanley and his mom Melanie Talbot went on a vacation in Cornwall, England. During their time away from home, they decided to put the Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary on their itinerary.

Right when they entered the underwater viewing areas, Stanley’s eyes were immediately pinned to a large sea pup. The baby sea lion was Aayla and she is a permanent resident of the seal sanctuary. The baby sea lion also seemed to be excited seeing the cute dog on the other side of the sea-through glass.

Aayla continued to swim near the window while fixing her eyes on the 2-year-old dachshund. The two got each other’s attention then and stayed for a couple of memorable minutes during their first meeting. Melanie on the side took photos of the adorable scene of these “land and water” buddies.

What made the two connect in an instant?

“Aayla is often found by the underwater viewing, she absolutely loves interacting with people and dogs. We are often sent photos from our guests who have captured Aayla interacting with their dogs, so this isn’t the first time she has made friends with a dog, although she seemed to really love Stanley,” Georgina Shannon of the Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary told the Bored Panda.

They speculated that Aayla mistook Stanley to be another sea lion because he was wearing a dog jacket with his ears tucked inside the hood. The huge baby sea lion tried to do gestures that most dogs do. She then started tilting her head and waved at the little pooch outside the glass.

“I think she was absolutely fascinated by him! You can see from the photos she was really interested in him and spent a long time looking at him through the glass,” Shannon explained.

Stanley’s mom, Melanie was so happy that Stanley met a new friend on their journey away from home.

Melanie said that it was like her Stanley and the baby sea lion became immediate friends right there and then. The two were bumping noses (though there’s a glass between them) as if they were whispering something to each other. They also posed to the camera with Aayla’s head tilted, still trying to look like a dog.

She also explained that someone told her before that dachshunds tend to sleep with their legs tucked in, making them look like seals. This is one good reason why the two instantly bonded and made a connection and besides, they made such an adorable duo, right?

How did Aayla end up in the seal sanctuary?

“Aayla was rescued from Bacton, Norfolk in January, 2017 and taken to a local rehabilitation center. She was malnourished and had a small injury on her right flipper. The flipper was discovered to be severely infected and several of the bones had to be removed, meaning she had to receive continuous care. The Sanctuary welcomed Aayla to the family in July 2018 to provide her with a permanent home,” narrated Shannon.

The Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek, Cornwall is a charity that rescues and provides medical care for injured, ill, or distressed seals and other marine animals as well. The seal sanctuary has already been running for over 60 years and they still continue to provide treatment and give marine animals a permanent home.

It was such a beautiful sight to see how Stanley and Aayla clicked. They also proved that though they came from different bodies of Earth, still, nothing could separate them – not even that see-through glass!

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Source: Bored Panda, Instagram