A pair of friendly tropical fish swam near a diver, seemingly fascinated by his arm tattoo.

Footage shows two striped blennies gliding together underwater right in front of snorkeller Luke Enrico Martinez in La Union, the Philippines.

The black-and-yellow duo curiously inspected Luke's tattooed arm, appearing to sniff it as they hovered nearby.

The marine animals did not leave each other's side, letting Luke observe them within close range on March 10.

Luke said: 'They seemed to like my smell and accepted me as one of their own. They were too cute.'

Striped blennies are known for their bold nature. Instead of fleeing, they often observe divers, sometimes even swimming close to investigate.

Blennies are known to be territorial, but sometimes two individuals patrol an area together, possibly defending shared space from intruders.