This is the adorable moment a sea lion pup climbed onto a surfer's board off the coast of San Diego in Southern California, before cuddling up to him and riding the waves with him for more than an hour. The small marine creature reportedly approached longtime surfer and father-of-one, Dan Murphy, as he was taking to the water at Cardiff-by-the-Sea, off the shore of San Elijo Campground, on Sunday. It leaped onto the back of Mr Murphy's board and 'hugged' him from behind, leading him to think he was being attacked. But when the surfer whirled around, he saw it was only the 'scared-looking' pup. The sea lion pup jumped onto surfer Dan Murphy's board while he was in the water off of the San Diego coast . Pup hopped onto the back of Mr Murphy's board and 'hugged' him, leading him to think he was being attacked . The sea lion eventually crawled into Mr Murphy's lap and spend more than an hour riding the waves with him . For the next 20 minutes, the animal apparently held on tightly to Mr Murphy, before crawling into his lap 'like a puppy'. It then floated on the board and rode the waves with the surfer for a further hour. However, eventually, Mr Murphy, who has a seven-month-old baby son, had to nudge the pup off his board, and encourage it to swim off, because he needed to go home. He told NBC that the farewell was a tearful one, saying: 'I was literally in tears... I waved to him.' Speaking of the experience overall, he added: 'He spent well over an hour on my board... you see those pups around this time of year, [but] I’ve never seen them interact with people like that.' While Mr Murphy was frolicking in the ocean with the sea lion pup, his friend, Eileen Quinetela, was snapping photos of the incredible encounter. One picture shows the pup sunbathing on the board. Others depict the animal cuddling up to Mr Murphy, 'hugging' him from behind, and another surfer riding past sporting an amazed expression. They were met by an array of stunned and envious responses from Mr Murphy's friends, with one Facebook user writing: 'OMG that's incredible!! A seal is hugging you!!! ', and another saying: 'That's awesome.' Mr Murphy said: 'He spent well over an hour on my board... you see those pups around this time of year' Nearly 2,000 seas lions have washed up on shores in California in sick and starving conditions so far this year . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has sounded the alarm over the surge in famished pups . It comes as California remains in the midst of a sea lion pup crisis, with nearly 2,000 of the animals having washed up on the state's shores in sick and starving conditions so far this year. Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sounded the alarm over the surge in famished pups, saying there has been 'an unusually large increase' in sea lion strandings. In January and February, strandings were 20 times the average rate for the time of year. In a conference call with reporters, an NOAA official said that up to March 15, more than 1,800 sea lions had been recorded, 750 of which were brought into the group's facilities, to be fed back up. The pups were also treated for any health problems before being released back into the ocean. Other pups have been cared for - and eventually returned to the wild - by SeaWorld trainers in the region. While Mr Murphy was with the pup, his friend Eileen Quinetela was snapping photos of the unique encounter . Experts believe warming ocean temperatures are partly responsible for the enormous rise in sea lion strandings . Speaking to NBC, Mr Murphy said the pup that jumped on to his board  on Sunday morning did not appear malnourished and was comfortable around him, so may have been a rehabilitated sea lion. Experts believe warming sea temperatures are at least, in part, responsible for the enormous rise in sea lion strandings, changing the availability of fish and other organisms on which sea lions prey. Female sea lions, which weigh some 100 kilos (against some 400 kg for males), have to swim further to find food, leading them to become prematurely separated from their pups. The next two months are likely to see an even greater surge in strandings, along the lines of a 2013 Unusual Mortality Event (UME), experts say, before hopefully the numbers will start to fall. Nate Mantua of NOAA said one piece of good news was signs of northerly winds which would help bring colder waters more rich in nutrients, at least in northern California. This could ease the food crisis which is driving the strandings, he said. Mr Murphy said the little sea lion that jumped on to his board on Sunday morning did not appear malnourished .
Sea lion pup jumped onto surfer Dan Murphy's board off San Diego coast . Then 'hugged' him from behind, before crawling into his lap 'like a puppy'
For next hour, pair floated on board and rode waves at Cardiff-by-the-Sea . Finally, Mr Murphy had to nudge pup away because he was going home . 'I was literally in tears... I waved to him,' said Mr Murphy, a father-of-one . Comes as rising numbers of famished pups wash up on California shore . Mr Murphy believes his new friend may have been  treated and released .