The GP set to appear in a new BBC documentary about his exploits diving with seals off the Northumberland Coast hopes that it shows people they don't have to travel far to get close to nature. Ben Burville, 55, has struck up a unique relationship with the grey seal population off the North Northumberland Coast. His dives have enabled him to become an expert in the creatures' underwater behaviour.
The seals have even shaken hands (flippers) with Ben and given the Amble GP hugs in the past . Ahead of his appearance on BBC's Our Lives, Ben was keen to remind people that no matter how cute seals look in his videos, they are wild animals and should be respected as such. Read more: Access to Northumberland beauty spot to close for up to four months for filming of star-studded movie Keep up to date with all the latest local news from Northumberland with our free newsletter Ben told ChronicleLive: "People think you must know a seal and that's why they come so close.
What they've taught me over the last 20 years is how to dive in a way that they find acceptable and not disturbing in any way, and in ways they feel quite intriguing. "It's finding out how the seals respond and what they seem to like which has given me access to them in a way that is quite unique, but it's very, very rare that I'll see the same seal on a different day. There are an awful lot of seals up there, but I don't have a particular relationship with any specific seal - these are not pets, these are wild animals.
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