Mom and pup laying on the lava rocks - they seem to plop down into any position and relax all day.
SEA LIONS
There are sea lion colonies all over the place in San Cristobal! Right by the docks at the waterfront, along the beaches, and at "La Loberia" - it is a great show. They are a relative of the California sea lion, but slightly smaller, and really playful in the water (they love to swim within inches of you). On the beach, they are very relaxed about human presence - except male bulls taking care of their harem. They guard their territory and chase other males with their barks and attacks. Occasionally they will also mistakenly chase Australians out of the water, I noticed.
La Lobería - the "wolf-place", sort of translated - is where sea lion colonies congregate. Every island seems to have at least one. Sea lions are "lobos marinos" in spanish, or sea wolves.
The colony at Punta Carola - They can smell really foul - apparently in other seasons their stench moderates a bit.
A sandy sea lion huffing and puffing. I had to walk a good distance from the bull´s harem in order to be allowed in the water.
From Galapagos Online:
(the site also describes the Fur Seal)
Adult males known as Bulls are the head of the Colony, and can grow to be up to 7 ft (2 m) in length and 800 lbs (363 kg). As males grow larger they fight to win dominance for a territory including a Harem of between 5 and 25 Cows. Each Cow in the Harem has a single Pup born a year after conception. The Pups have a strong bond with their mother. The Cow will nurture a Pup for up to three years. In that time the Cow and the Pup will recognize each other's bark from the rest of the Colony. When the Pup is 2 - 3 weeks old the Cow will mate again.
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