Lovable sea lion is desperate for attention from scuba divers

Sea lions are the puppies of the ocean. They were nicknamed "sea dogs" by the sailors of the past few centuries because of their strong resemblance to our canine companions. Their faces are similar and their antics are equally endearing. Young sea lions are curious and playful, wearing what appears to be a perpetual smile on their faces.Show more

Scuba divers love to sea these beautiful creatures in the water. Sleek and graceful, the sea lions often appear quickly and dart around the divers in an attempt to engage them in play. Perhaps it is entertaining for the sea lions to demonstrate how superior they are in the water, able to turn sharply, dive and ascend almost quicker than the eye can track them. In comparison, humans are extremely slow and clumsy. Divers cannot move through the ocean at anything faster than the pace of a brisk walk. They drift along, needing to be conscious of their ascent and their air consumption at all times. The sea lion can hold its breath and go up or down as it wishes.

These lovable animals often show up at depths of 20-30m (60-90 feet) where we would not expect them to be. They hunt for fish, eels, and octopus at these depths. And sometimes they just arrive to investigate the bubbles or the group of large and slow moving creatures. This playful fellow is a young one and it is possible that he is waiting for his mother to return from hunting. As he grows, he will venture farther out into the ocean, taking part in the hunting himself. At this size, large sharks would consider the sea lion a meal and he would be in great danger if he ventured far from the rocks and the shoreline.

Sea lions are incredibly agile and they are usually able to avoid capture by predators if they see them coming in time.
The scuba divers in this video are exploring the rocks near Pizon Island in the Galapagos. This dive will be one that they do not soon forget.