FThat's one big baby! Elephant seal pup weighing 200lb comes up for a cuddle with delighted tourist during trip to Antarctic

By Sara Malm

SEE VIDEO @ 

http://youtu.be/ym9BxE_8Fq8

• The two-month-old baby seal came up for a hug on Antarctic Peninsula
• Despite being a pup, the seal is believed to have weighed 200lbs
• Adorable cuddle caught on camera by Canadian tourists

This is the moment when a not-so-little baby elephant seal emerged from the sea to give a surprised tourist one big cuddle. 

Charlene Fritz, 35, was visiting Snow Hill Island in the Antarctic Peninsula as part of an expedition when she made an unusual friend on the beach.

Despite being no more than two months old, the elephant seal pup is still thought to have weighed around 200lbs, and Ms Fritz had a struggle sitting upright. 

One big cuddle: The elephant seal is thought to have been no more than two months old, but at a whopping 200lbs, Canadian tourist Charlene Fritz still struggled to reciprocate the hug

Making friends: Ms Fritz had the surprise of a lifetime when the baby elephant seal came out of the water for a cuddle during an expedition to Snow Hill Island in the Antarctic Peninsula

Will you be my mummy? Elephant seal pups are abandoned by their mothers at just one month to learn how to take care of themselves

Charlene, from Saskatchewan, Canada, said: 'The seal climbed on top of me without hesitation. We shared a very sweet moment in time I will never forget.

'Her mouth was all pink inside and her eyes were amazing to look into. Like the deepest depths of the sea. I could have stared into her eyes forever.'

She added: 'It was made very clear to me that I was in no way allowed to touch her with my hands or approach her.

'She came to me from across the beach and made all of the decisions to cuddle up. I wanted to hug her so badly.

'Physically she felt like a big dough ball, super warm and like she had no bones. She did not smell of fish or have bad breath. She had never even eaten a fish at that point in her life.

Rules: Ms Fritz explains that she badly wanted to hug the baby seal, but that regulations on the Antarctic expedition dictated that she in no way touch the pup

'Sweet moment in time': Ms Fritz described the seal pup's eyes as being 'like the deepest depths of the sea'

Crushing: Ms Fritz struggles to sit upright under the weight of the 200lbs baby elephant seal

Two young elephant selas have a rest on the shore of Snow Hill Island, Antarctic Peninsula

Charlene, whose 2011 encounter with the seal was filmed by a friend, had at first wondered why the seal was so friendly but later learned about the harsh weaning process.

She said: 'Basically the mother fattens them up with her milk for a month or so, then abandons them on the beach.

'They have never been in the ocean to learn to fish or anything and basically lay there starving until they figure out to take the leap of faith and go into the sea.

'This is why they can be so sweet and looking for love, I guess.'

However, an encounter with a full-grown elephant would have been a different prospect.

Males of the species can weigh up to two tonnes and are known to have a nasty temper during mating season as the battle to control harems of females.