Playful sea lions are just ocean puppies at heart

Sea lions are adorably playful animals that capture our hearts. They are often called sea dogs or puppies of the ocean, and for good reason. They closely resemble those loveable canine characters that we share our lives with. It's not just the faces that resemble land dogs, but also the behaviour and the antics.

Watching sea lions glide gracefully through the water brings joy to anyone lucky enough to witness their sleek movements. Agile and quick, it is no wonder they can catch fish, despite the fact that they are land dwellers. Clumsy on the shore, they are equally adorable.

These lucky scuba divers were greeted at the surface after a dive by a colony of sea lions that were having as much fun watching the divers as the divers were watching them.

Almost every rocky shore and beach in the Galapagos Islands are inhabited by sea lion colonies. Typically, one bull male has breeding rights over 10-30 females. He will protect them and their offspring as they lounge on the beaches between feeding times. When a male sea lion is full grown, there are few animals in the ocean that will prey on them. Large sharks and orcas are the only threat to these formidable beasts.