Sea Lions Play 'Keep Away'; their Fur Seal Cousins

The sea lions’ mischievous behavior was most evident later in our trip, when, toward the end of a day, a few of us were snorkeling with both guides joining us on the panga.  Where  so many currents converge in the Galapagos, the water can be cold; we were all wearing wet suits, gloves, etc. to be comfortable.

There were two friendly, curious sea lions who came close to check us out.  As we were winding down, a few of us returned to the panga.  Suddenly one of our travel mates pops out of the water and shouts,  ‘The sea lion got my glove!’

Both guides immediately dived into the water to try to get the glove before one of the sea lions ate it.  This was a sea lion rescue mission, not a glove retrieval errand.

How did the sea lions react?  They played ‘keep away’.  As we watched, astonished, from the raft, the sea lions threw the glove to each other, successfully keeping it out of reach of the men.  Of course none of us had cameras, but please trust me, I am not making this up.  

For several minutes, two playful sea lions managed to toss the glove back and forth.  It was almost like watching a basketball game.

Then one of the guides managed to distract a sea lion so the next glove toss was intercepted.  None of us had brought cameras out, but this video will give you a sense of both the sea lion playfulness as well as the way a bull might survey and protect his turf.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7aJda1skeA

Galapagos Fur Seals- the Sea Lion Cousins 

The sea lions are also related to Galapagos fur seals but the latter are shy, and tend to be found primarily on Fernandina and Isabela, whereas  the sea lions, who have adapted better for life on the beach than seals, are on several islands.     

Sea lions, as you’ve seen, can raise the front parts of their bodies,  and also rotate their back flippers enabling them to walk and run on land. Seals use their front flippers to steer, and back flippers for power, and they can’t lift the front parts of their bodies in the same way as their sea lion cousins.

Life on the beach: Sea lions and mockingbird