Cher spots seal in River Ouse in York

Dr Cher Casey took these photos on Wednesday afternoon when she was out for a dog walk with her friend and neighbour, Sarah Newman.

Cher who lives on Howe Hill Road in Holgate, had her seven-year-old golden retriever, Rory, with her and they were just downstream from the RSPCA when the encounter happened.

Clifton Sands on the Ouse where Daggi the seal was spotted

She said: "When we got to the beach (Clifton Sands) Rory went straight in the water as usual then came out to dig. That's when we spotted the seal poke her head out of the water. 

"Sarah and I were very confused, to say the least. Rory then noticed it and went to say hello."

"The seal did a little flipper flap like a wave then went closer. Rory was intrigued and they went towards each other. The seal disappeared under the water but reemerged a few times next to Rory, who had not left the water since seeing the seal. I got a bit nervous remembering that seals have teeth. I'm originally from California. I'll have lived in York for ten years this September, but I lived many years in Santa Cruz, CA - a beach town with large harbour seal and sea lion populations and although I can't recall a aggressive incident involving a seal, I didn't want to take my chances. I eventually got Rory out of the water, on the lead, and continued on our walk.

"I reported our encounter to the British Divers Wildlife Rescue, and after sending pictures, they were able to identify the seal as a rehabilitated female, named Daggi, from Germany. She said they received other calls after me that reported members of the public were disturbing her. They sent down one of their medics. I'm unsure if they saw her, but they said she was spotted in Norfolk a few weeks ago so she's quite the little explorer."

Back in 2007 The Press reported on the adventures of Sammy the seal is back who was spotted spotted navigating North Yorkshire's rivers.

Then a 33-year-old Martin Lingard, of Sherburn-in-Elmet, noticed the seal in the River Ouse as he was walking near Stillingfleet, between York and Selby, and filmed him bobbing in the water.

He said at the time: "I was not expecting it, he just popped up. I was going for a walk."

The sighting will add to speculation about the whereabouts of Sammy's home after the seal was spotted in the River Wharfe, in Tadcaster, earlier the same month.

But residents of Cawood later claimed the slippery creature, saying Sammy was spotted sunbathing beside the river, in the village, in 2004.

Martin said: "I saw a seal a few years ago at Ryther. People made a thing about it being from Tadcaster the last time, but it has been about for a few years.

"It will be migrating up and down all the time following the fish."

He said the seal he photographed had a distinctive tag on its flipper - the same as that reported on the Cawood seal.