SEAL of approval! Photographer in Siberia gets a wave from adorable pup

This adorable seal pup wanted to give a photographer an extra special welcome.

In fact, he offered up his most gorgeous face – and a wave hello.

Alexy Trofimov was at Russia’s remote Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia when he noticed a seal family going about their day.

The professional photographer wanted to capture the notoriously shy seals in their natural environment – and he couldn’t have asked for a better picture.

He said: “It was particularly difficult to shoot a Baikal seal pup on the ice.

”It took me three years to get my first picture.”

He added: ”If a seal pup is not too scared, they will begin to become curious about you and this is what this seal was doing.

“I was happy to be able to capture such a rare picture; seals are very cautious and easily frightened, so it is difficult to photograph them.

“It was a very rare and special moment.”

Top pic: Caters