Beachgoers in California witnessed the paw-sitively bizarre scene of a dog playing fetch alongside a wild seal. The unlikely aquatic alliance was filmed by surf photographer Dave Nelson on Santa Cruz beach. Footage from the clip shared online shows Nelson throwing a ball for his dog into the waves, with both his pet and the seal giving chase. Despite having the home advantage, the seal lost out as the dog reached the ball first and returned it to its owner, who can be heard cracking up at the barking mad spectacle. Some social-media users had their hackles up about encouraging the dog to go near the seal, which can bite. But it seems millions of people have enjoyed the clip anyway, despite the skeptics’ hounding.