Seal filmed 'wrestling' with large eel in the sea

A seal has been spotted "wrestling" a large eel for its lunch.

Biology teacher Dr Jeremy Rowe filmed the seal after spotting it with something in the water off Portland Bill, Dorset, on Saturday.

Dr Rowe had been birdwatching on a nearby cliff when he saw the kerfuffle through his telescope about 500m (1,640ft) away.

He said: "I've never seen anything like it."

Dr Rowe spent about 20 minutes watching the seal capture and then eat the eel, which looked about 1.5m (5ft) long.

He explained: "I used to be a marine coastal warden and I enjoy birdwatching, I go diving, so I enjoy being by the coast.

"My wife and I were walking and I was doing some birdwatching, when through my telescope I see this seal wrestling with a big eel.

"By the time I got my scope out, I could see it had managed to catch it and subdue it, but it was struggling."

Dr Rowe said the seal was not able to close its jaw around the eel, which meant it would keep dipping underwater and then reappearing.

He continued: "The tide was just starting to come in so the seal was drifting with the water. It had to stop swimming at one point because it was busy battling, so it just gave up and floated.

Since posting the video online, the teacher from Dorchester says many locals have commented and believe it was the female grey seal called Fiver.