A Huge Inflatable Sydney Opera House Seal Is Currently Floating on the Harbour

The Sydney Opera House has had no shortage of high-profile visitors, but perhaps one of its most loved is Benny. He's the long-nosed fur seal who likes to hang out on the Opera House's northern VIP steps, and today he's getting the ultimate tribute, with a giant, eight-metre-long inflatable likeness of the creature popping up on Sydney Harbour.

The Benny floaty will be kicking around for one day only to help launch the Opera House's new meme-loving chat bot, which'll share everything from random facts and insider stories, to ideas for your next date night. It'll also have a wealth of knowledge about the Bennelong Point marine environment, including plenty of fun facts about his fellow seals.

"Speaking with a seal about the Opera House is probably the last thing people would expect," said Sydney Opera House General Manager of Marketing, Christina Erskine. "By creating an affable, informed and frankly adorable seal we want Sydneysiders to discover a completely different side to the Opera House and realise there's something for everyone to enjoy here."

If you'd like to check out the inflatable seal in the flesh, he'll be floating around the Opera House for most of the day, but if you're stuck at your desk, you can watch the live stream of him at the Sydney Opera House Facebook page.

Images: Daniel Boud