Inquisitive sea lion jumps aboard US man’s boat

A lonely sea lion has come up with a novel way to seal a friendship - all in a matter of seconds.

Skipping past the small talk and kind gestures, the sea creature was filmed leaping on board a man’s boat in San Diego and cuddling in.

“Here’s my new friend, he jumped aboard out at the bridge, just hanging out with me,” the amused boatie tells the camera in between bouts of laughter.

The cuddly critter looks on lovingly at his new friend, even nuzzling the man’s neck as he rests his head on his shoulder.

Just to prove how close they are the sea lion even seals the deal with a peck on the cheek.

“Anybody looking for a seal? I seem to have acquired one,” the man says in the video.

The clip, uploaded to YouTube on October 23, has hit more than half a million views.