Josh Lillas came back to Whakatāne to spend Father's Day out on the water with his dad Scott but a "hitchhiking" seal put paid to the belief two is company and three's a crowd.
In a video posted to his Facebook page, the seal is first seen after hauling itself onto a platform at the back of the boat.
"I was eating an orange and was throwing my peels into the water which seemed to interest him," Lillas said. "He wasn't eating them, he just followed them to the back of the boat then climbed on board.
Fishing quite a way past Moutohora (Whale Island), Lillas said they had seen another seal at a prior fishing spot about 10 kms away but it was significantly bigger than the seal that had boarded their boat.