Sea Lions are Like Squirrels

You know how pesky squirrels can be in your backyard.Even though they steal all the bird seed, they still sit-up and give you that I’m so cute look. The sea lions seem to fit that same niche here in the Galapagos. Here’s Chris waiting for the water-taxi with one of her furry friends.

The beach just off where we are moored is shared by the locals, tourists and sea-lions. No one seems to care too much about each others presence.

Here’s a mother doing her best La Leche League pose in the sand while her hungry pup sucks noisily away.

Remember that cute face? We do battle with it each night. There’s now fenders slung all over our swim-step, the aft opening under the seat is blocked by blow-up fenders, the sun screens are down and tightly snapped. This keeps most – but not all – of the sea-lions off the step and out of the cockpit.

Our friend Ed off of Skylark explained that these are actually a sub-species of sea-lion that has adapted quickly to yachts with swim steps:

These are not sea lions, they are boat lions that started their evolution from the sea when the whale boats first showed up before Darwin. Speciation can occur in Galapagos Sea Lion - Zalophus wollebaeki - rather quickly in direct relation to the number of open transom boats that occur. This unnatural phenomenon, open transom boats that is, can be corrected with  plywood and screws. Speciation however is unstoppable, welcome Zalophus boatibaeki!
Ed

Fortunately Chris remembered that she had a can of Kirkland Brand Seal-Be-Gone hidden in a deep locker that she had picked up last time we shopped at Costco while in Virginia. Useful against the big stubborn visitors.

Paul