Little boy befriends sea lion

"Free Willy" isn't the only tale of friendship between a sea creature and a young boy.

Sophie the sea lion is known for being a lot of fun, and Alex, a little boy withAsperger syndrome, was thrilled she'd chosen him to play follow-the-leader.

'He likes me! ...Oh my gosh! ..This is the best thing of my life!,' Alex said in a YouTube video.

Alex's mom, Jennifer Bittner, wrote on Facebook that it was a special moment for her son.

'It was amazing to witness the connection that she and my son seemed to share. He ... sometimes has trouble interacting and playing with children his own age, but he and the Sea Lion seemed perfectly in sync.'

That they did, and we couldn't be happier Sophie picked Alex to play.