This time of year, it can be a bit fun in the sea, so perhaps this cheeky seal was just looking to stay warm when he tried to steal a wetsuit from a tourist’s bag.
An elephant seal grabbed the bag as it was dropped by its owner near the shores of St Andrews Bay, South Georgia.
It then rummaged through the contents before finally squeezing the wetsuit in its mouth and pulling it out of the bag.
The young pup probably thought his feat would go unnoticed among the 200,000 King penguins and fellow seals that inhabit the tiny bay.
But the thieving seal was caught in the act by photographer Paul Goldstein, who captured this hilarious photo.
The cheeky seal even appeared to realize the game was over when it looked straight into the camera lens as the photo was taken.
Mr Goldstein said: ‘Elephant seals have thick skin and coat to keep them warm in freezing cold water, but this pup really seemed to want the waterproof gear in an unfortunate traveller’s pocket. ‘
South Georgia now has about 110,000 male elephant seals breeding along its shores after the species nearly became extinct due to over-hunting in the 19th century.
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