A kayaker had a once in a lifetime experience off the Isle of Man when a friendly seal approached his boat and let him touch it.

The footage shows the seal emerging from the water right next to the kayak.

The kayaker then takes his arm out of the board and begins to pet the seal - which surprisingly remains still.

After a while enjoying the cuddles, the seal can be seen swimming off.

The filmed writes: ''As I was kayaking around the coast of the Isle of Man I came across this very inquisitive grey seal.

''It first surprised me when it tried to climb on top of my kayak, he then kept swimming very close and each time it passed would roll on it's back.

''On it's third pass I couldn't resist stroking the underside, feeling very apprehensive as this is a wild animal with sharp teeth, they can also be very unpredictable, but on this special occasion, I was fortunate to get this incredible footage.

''In the 20 years I've been kayaking I've never had such a close encounter.''

The clip was filmed on May 7.

As I was kayaking around the coast of the Isle of Man I came across this very inquisitive grey seal. It first surprised me when it tried to climb on top of my kayak, he then kept swimming very close and each time it passed would roll on it's back. On it's third pass I couldn't resist stroking the underside, feeling very apprehensive as this is a wild animal with sharp teeth, they can also be very unpredictable, but on this special occasion I was fortunate to get this incredible footage. In the 20 years I've been kayaking I've never had such a close encounter.