‘Is Free Willy chasing you?’ Video captures sea lion hopping into B.C. boat

Some B.C. boaters got a surprise on Wednesday evening when a sea lion leapt aboard.

Global BC viewer Peter Brackett caught the encounter on video, which he said happened near Thormanby Island off the Sunshine Coast.

“You want to come up for a minute? Is Free Willy chasing you?” Brackett can be heard asking on the video, as the sea lion pokes its head out of the water.

Moments later, the curious pinniped hops onto the side of the boat to the chuckles of everyone aboard.

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“This little feller just came on board to visit us,” Brackett adds, before the sea lion falls right into the boat.

Brackett said the sea lion remained in the boat for nearly half an hour, and while the group thought he might be being hunted by an orca, they saw no signs of predators.

He said despite living on the coast for 55 years and being a long-time fisherman, he’s never seen anything like it.