Espanola Island
“Oh no! Another picture?” That is what I think this baby sea lion was saying as I approached him to take a photo. There were many sea lions on the lovely white sand beach that we visited in the afternoon at Gardner Bay, on Espanola Island. This little fellow was only two or three days old. We enjoyed watching him for awhile and observed the funny uncoordinated movements he made, throwing sand every where, and rolling his body on the beach.
We are in the middle of the birthing season of the sea lions in Galápagos, and hence we can observe very young pups that are just learning how to nurse and still search to find their mother’s nipples. I once watched a pup that mistakenly found it’s mother’s ear and suckled there for about an hour. Finally Mom pushed him off and down towards her belly and he latched on properly and nursed correctly.
The Galápagos Islands are a living laboratory for wildlife and a visit here produces many rewarding encounters. The chance to watch animals in their natural habitat and to observe their behavior, how they live and how they interact is especially wonderful. Perhaps the most beautiful part of the experience is that we can interact with them. We can sit down beside the sea lions, on this gorgeous beach. They watch us, we watch them and soon they accept us and go about their normal activities. To be as one with the wildlife is a unique and unforgettable experience.
“Oh no! Another picture?” That is what I think this baby sea lion was saying as I approached him to take a photo. There were many sea lions on the lovely white sand beach that we visited in the afternoon at Gardner Bay, on Espanola Island. This little fellow was only two or three days old. We enjoyed watching him for awhile and observed the funny uncoordinated movements he made, throwing sand every where, and rolling his body on the beach.
We are in the middle of the birthing season of the sea lions in Galápagos, and hence we can observe very young pups that are just learning how to nurse and still search to find their mother’s nipples. I once watched a pup that mistakenly found it’s mother’s ear and suckled there for about an hour. Finally Mom pushed him off and down towards her belly and he latched on properly and nursed correctly.
The Galápagos Islands are a living laboratory for wildlife and a visit here produces many rewarding encounters. The chance to watch animals in their natural habitat and to observe their behavior, how they live and how they interact is especially wonderful. Perhaps the most beautiful part of the experience is that we can interact with them. We can sit down beside the sea lions, on this gorgeous beach. They watch us, we watch them and soon they accept us and go about their normal activities. To be as one with the wildlife is a unique and unforgettable experience.
