Adorable seal pup stars in photographer's striking pictures from Sunderland's coast

Ian Maggiore was at Roker seafront on Friday, August 5 when he was lucky enough to spot the pup taking a rest in the sunshine.

Careful not to disturb or frighten the animal, Ian took the opportunity to snap his striking photographs of the seal pup using a telephoto lens from a safe distance.

He first spotted the pup at the shoreline near Marine Walk. It eventually made its way back to the water, but not before stopping to say hello to a lucky paddle-boarder!

Ian told the Echo: “It's amazing to see all the great activity on our doorstep.

"What with dolphins, porpoises, jellyfish, razorbills, leaping salmon and even a swimming rat off the lighthouse end pier, never a dull moment. I have photographs of all of them.

"All this sealife activity gives great profile to our wonderful seafront.”

Harbour seals and grey seals are those most commonly spotted in UK waters. The creatures are regular visitors to Sunderland’s coast, and elsewhere in the North East too.

The RSPCA has previously issued advice to the public on what to do if a seal pup is spotted alone; a normal occurence for the young animals.

The charity said: “If you find a seal pup that looks fit and healthy and shows no signs of distress, monitor it first from a safe distance for 24 hours.

"If the mother doesn't return within 24 hours, or you think that the pup is sick or injured, please keep at a safe distance and contact us.”

Many thanks again to Ian for sharing his photographs with us.

If you have a picture of your own to share, you can contact us via our Facebook page here.