I'm quite certain that if you visit the Galápagos your guaranteed to see sea lions and with their fun, adorable characteristics and behaviour are everyone's favourite. Looking at iguanas or turtles is interesting, but they don't put on a cute show for you like the sea lions do. As a lover of cats I thought it was fitting to have the use of lion in their names because I could actually see many personality resemblances between the two. For example the sea lions are quite bratty, they go anywhere they please and are not really scolded or punished because it's the Galápagos and animals are protected. The lions love to bask in the sun as you see in pictures they look dead....they're not, just sleeping in the sun not caring that I'm standing three feet away with a camera in their face. Sea lions will also find the most bizarre and sometimes seemingly uncomfortable sleeping perches, just like cats. When sea lions are on land there is a reason for the seemingly lazy resting as they are warming in the sun and gaining back energy to go out in the sea to fish, but on the chance we would see an awake sea lion some of them like to show off for the crowd with their jumping skills or roll onto their back and show their cute belly. They certainly have personalities, just like our pets at home.

Some of the funniest examples I captured of the sea lions were the following. You'll see a picture of the four sea lions laying on the speed boat cover of an anchored boat....the sea lions liked the look of this boat as a bed and climbed up for a nap, as I said go where they want and bratty. I also saw one sea lion perched on this large jagged rock on the end he of the cliff, it looked so uncomfortable but none the less there he or she was sleeping. Lastly and my favourite was the sea lions who frequent the fish market in the Galápagos. My guide explained that some of the sea lions that show up here were actually orphaned and therefore have been cared for my the Galápagos people which is a good thing considering these sea lions don't know how to fish, the others are just lazy :-P. It was fun to watch them wait to a fish scrap to be tossed their way, and they even try and sneak a whole fish down if they can grab it, very entertaining. As I was standing at the fish market with my face glued to my camera to capture all the excitement I felt a cold wet slimy thing on the tops of my feet in flip flops, and I looked down and a baby sea lion was just passing by and my feet were in the way so he or she just slid over them, it kind of started me but at the same time I felt pretty lucky to have such close contact. I truly enjoyed learning and experiencing the sea lions, there is no zoo or aquatic centre in the world where I would have gotten such an up close and personal experience with the sea lions. If nature and sea life is of interest to you, go the Galápagos Islands, it's a very special place.