A visiting seal provided an unexpected treat for Christmas shoppers in a coastal town which enjoyed some of the UK’s brightest weekend weather.
Amateur photographer Emma Duguid snapped the seal as it swam near the quayside in Lymington, Hampshire, on Saturday morning.
Ms Duguid, a 43-year-old shop worker from Mudeford, Dorset, said she photographed the seal for the best part of an hour as it swam around yachts and fishing boats moored near the town centre.
A seal swimming near the quayside in Lymington, Hampshire (Emma Duguid /PA)
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is involved in a project aimed at finding out more about seals living in the Solent area.
It says about 50 harbour seals live in the area, and grey seals sometimes also pass through.