This sleepy seal isn’t happy about being woken up – slapping her flipper across her face to block the morning sunlight.
The grey mother seal was enjoying a well-deserved lie-in when she was disturbed by photographer Nigel Robinson.
Desperate for an extra forty winks, she covered her eyes and rolled back over on the sand at Ravenscar, North Yorks.
Nigel, 58, said: “I went down there to try and get some pictures of the seals as I know there can be hundreds of them on the beach at the time.
“I clambered down a 100ft cliff to get to the sand where I saw around 100 mothers and calves.
“It was early in the morning so they were only just waking up. When this mother seal saw me she just lifted up her flipper and covered her eyes.
“She looked like she’d either had a tough night with her pups or a heavy session down the pub.”
The seal went back to sleep and Nigel moved further back up the beach as the tide started to roll in.
But as the water lapped at her side, she slid further up the sand, coming just metres from his feet.
Nigel, from Newbiggin-on-Sea, Northumberland, added: “It was amazing. I moved back about five-six metres with the water.
“Every time without exception she followed me up the beach.
“I think in the end she was quite pleased to see me, despite her first pulling some funny faces. It was lovely.”
