Galapagos sea lion loveliness

Hi faves! I hope you’re as stoked as I am for this one, because today, we’re appreciating all the sweet and silly antics of sea lions! Sea lions are the actual best, and the Galapagos sea lion in particular is absolute delight for wildlife watching.

This is a portrait of a juvenile Galapagos sea lion. It is propped up on its two flexible front flippers, and its two tiny external ears are visible as it gazes slightly down toward a cobbled footpath.

We’ve seen other sea lions elsewhere. Maybe you have too: who doesn’t love these friendly, vocal puppies of the ocean?! But seeing the Galapagos sea lion is a different experience altogether: one that makes you feel as though you have never properly seen sea lions before.

This is an action shot of two sea lions playing in the water, taken from a vantage point at the surface. The pair are tangled up with one snout and two flippers visible above water. They are splashing, and moving quickly!

Our prior experiences with the California sea lion involved spotting them lounging around on boats and jetties in the medium distance. In contrast, in the Galapagos, the sea lions are downright friendly! Galapagos sea lions came right over to sniff us and even roll across our feet. Despite our best efforts to adhere to wildlife distancing guidelines, the sea lions themselves were constantly flouting the rules. They would repeatedly approach us, even if we backed away! All of those stories you’ve heard about friendly wildlife in the Enchanted Isles? All true! Particularly with the Galapagos sea lion.

Here, a sleepy sea lion lounges on the beach. He is nestled against a sun-warmed black lava rock, and though his eyes are closed, he appears to be smiling.

Without slighting any of the other incredible animals we got to see in the Galapagos, our sea lion encounters were some of our very best! We saw sea lions every single place we went: they are as abundant as Darwin’s finches and Sally Lightfoot crabs! Some sea lion encounters took place on sandy beaches – and some on pedestrian benches! We saw them eye-to-eye underwater, and lounged with them on the shore. And all of this time together has led us to conclude that these are some of the cutest animals on planet Earth. Enter the evidence!

In this curious photograph, a lone Galapagos sea lion has its head, flippers and belly above water in the shallows off a remote beach.

Quick biology recap: Seals and sea lions are different creatures. While both adorable, only sea lions have tiny external ears. Sea lions can use their flippers to move more efficiently on land than seals, who can only banana themselves along. Moreover, seals tend to be quiet and shy whereas sea lions are the opposite: brash, noisy and – as we experienced – sometimes extraordinarily curious!

The Galapagos sea lion is its own species, though closely related to the familiar California sea lion. It differs in size (it’s smaller!) and temperament (it’s insatiably curious!) – and unfortunately, in conservation status. The Galapagos sea lion is endangered. This species faces many threats, from climate change’s effects on the ocean to the dangers posed by fishing net entanglement, introduced pet encounters and more.

This is a charming portrait of a baby Galapagos sea lion. It showcases the species' cute whiskers, soulful brown eyes, tiny external ears and chocolate milk colored fur.

We really wanted to see the Galapagos sea lion safely. Luckily, we did not have to look far! Our first sea lion sighting was in downtown Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz, where life centers on the docks and fish markets. You might think to grab a popsicle and sit down on a bench with a sea view. If you do, you are more than likely to end up sharing your seat with a sleepy adult sea lion! Galapagos sea lions use the public benches as though they were intended specifically for marine mammals!

Here the author sits on a wooden public bench...next to another bench, on which sleeps a wet Galapagos sea lion!

We found them in the sea as well as on land. On a snorkel trip in nearby waters, we were delighted to find more sea lions! At Pinzon Island, we won the timing lottery and found a dozen parents with week-old pups lining the rocky shore. The little ones were incredibly sweet – and vocal! They called almost constantly for attention, endearing them to both their mammas – and us!

Underwater, the local patriarch was very active: checking us out to determine our intentions with his youngsters. He was incredibly playful and curious: suddenly swimming between the members of our group and right up to our faces! I think one of my life’s favorite moments was seeing him suspended upside-down in the water, calmly but intently eyeballing the lot of us. It almost seemed like he was wondering why we were such poor swimmers, and when we were going to cavort with him! When I ducked underwater, he caught my eye and held my gaze – and everything just stopped. His elegance and ease in his liquid medium simply took my breath away!

On Isabella Island, sea lions surfed the incoming swell as we kayaked over to check them out. On land too, they were as confident as they had been on Santa Cruz. They completely dominate the local beaches and public benches – to everyone’s delight!

However, it was our final stop in the islands that was the very best. San Cristobal takes the cake for sea lion sightings, hands down. They were the dominant presence of our visit from start to finish.

Landing at the ferry dock, we stuck around to watch the local sea lions. They amused us for hours with their games of chase in the bay (did you know that they jump out of the water sometimes, just like dolphins?!) and sometimes splashing up onto the dock to surprise disembarking tourists!

This is a portrait of the beach boss at Lover's Beach on San Cristobal. This large male is standing, using all four flippers to raise his large body off the ground. He faces the right side of the frame and his mouth is open, apparently vocalizing.

As part of our expedition to Kicker Rock the following day, our boat stopped at a remote, otherwise inaccessible beach. Jumping in the water, we were immediately surrounded new sea lion buddies! In what was one of our best ever animal hangouts, Kent and I got to swim with them  – alone, as the water was too cold for our fellow travelers. Yes, there are rules to follow, such maintaining a distance of upwards of two meters. But try as one might to follow that rule, the water is a sea lion’s playground – and they come as close as they please!

In this candid snapshot, the author and a lone Galapagos sea lion gaze at each other across an expanse of water. She's standing, wearing snorkel gear, and the sea lion's head is raised above the water. There's a slim stretch of sandy beach under a cloudy sky in the background.

On our last evening in the Galapagos, we went on a stroll to Lover’s Beach – and this was where the magic happened. First, we spotted the cutest baby sea lion on Earth lolling on the footpath. We stopped to admire this little guy’s every move and cry happy tears that something so perfect could exist. Finally continuing on around a corner, we found the beach jam-packed! There were dozens of sea lions in various states of wet, sandy and sleepy! The beach was literally covered with them, and we were enticed into a stopover of many hours.

After checking our perimeter (two meters away or more!), we sat down in a vacant spot to watch the antics of a pair of inseparable littles. Within a few minutes, the dynamic duo rolled right over – and crashed into us! It seemed more disruptive to stand up suddenly and startle them, so we simply froze stock still. The adults, who take it in turns to watch over the whole creche of youngsters, gazed around but did not raise the alarm. It seems they decided we were not a threat and went back to sleep.

What followed were some of the most mesmerizing moments of my life. These two babies sniffed us with their bristly whiskers and played literally on top of our feet! I am at a loss for adjectives that could possibly describe their preciousness. Adorable beyond belief!

A close-up capture of two little Galapagos sea lions in the sand. One lays on its back, with face and one flipper in the air. The other is on its side, with it's head turned over its shoulder to look at its playmate.
In another close-up of the playful little sea lions, one of the two is leaning on the other one. The beach beyond is filled with more sea lions of various ages and in various states of repose.
In one final image of the two baby sea lions, the pair both look up toward the camera. Their eyes are ringed with the same sand that covers their brown fur. A flipper is raised in play.

Suffice to say we were thoroughly enchanted by sea lions on this trip. Some of our best ever animal encounters! I am so happy to live in a world where there are Galapagos sea lions!


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