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A hotel guest in the Netherlands returned to his room to an unexpected surprise when he found it occupied by a sleeping grey seal. The weirdly funny incident happened at the Pier 7 beachside hotel in Vlissingen, a coastal city in the southwest of the country. The story has since gone viral.
After seeing the uninvited guest through the window, the tourist wisely left it alone, according to the reports from the Zeeland Animal Welfare Foundation.
Rather than trying to dislodge the animal, the guest alerted hotel staff, who reached out to local wildlife rescue agencies for help. The grey seal, famous for its habit of sleeping in odd places, had apparently stumbled into the room after the guest accidentally left the door open.
The story rapidly circulated on social media, where users reacted with amusement and fascination. Many were in disbelief at the surprise hotel guest, while others joked about the situation. One X user said:
"This is the Sealiest story of the day"
"Just part of the turn-down service!" quipped another.
"I'd run a bath in the tub and try to help get it water immediately! It's adorable !" wrote an tinternet user.
"That seal just unlocked the ultimate hotel amenity: room service and a nap with a view!" commented one person.
"He is part of the package" remarked another.
"A seal napping in a hotel room would you call it a cute surprise or a serious security breach?? How did this even happen?" one X user expressed his concern.
Animal rescuers from Reddingsteam Zeedieren Nederland (RTZ), the Marine Animals Rescue Team Netherlands, quickly came to the scene to help move the seal to safety. The marine mammal was unharmed but “grumpy” after its beauty sleep was disturbed, they said.
Grey seals and their unusual sleeping habits
It is uncommon to find one in a hotel room, but grey seals are known to take naps in strange places. These marine mammals, native to the North Atlantic, often haul out on beaches, rocky shores, and even the front yards of human-populated areas when they need to rest.
Animal welfare groups point out that seals coming ashore is normal behavior and does not necessarily indicate distress. But they can come under threat from human interaction or environmental changes.
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Experts say that grey seals should not be approached as they'll bite if they feel threatened. The rescue teams praised the hotel guests for making the right choice by contacting professionals rather than confronting the intruder.
The grey seal population is stable, but many other seal species face grave threats from habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. According to Seals World, seal populations have decreased over the years, drawing the attention and concern of conservation groups.
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