Probably smarter to just watch this happen, but one can understand why it would be hard to miss out. Photos: TikTok//Screenshot
Sea lions are the dogs of the sea. Disney princess eyes, cute little noses, whiskers… they’ve got it all. Unless, of course, you’ve smelled either their breath or a large group of them. Then they can be the rankest creatures around. Cute, though. Recently, a woman on her honeymoon got to do a lot more than just stare in awe at the cuteness: she party waved with a sea lion.
The video was posted on TikTok by a 24-year-old from Austin, Texas. She was on her honeymoon in September at Porto Chino Beach on San Cristóbal Island in the Galápagos, playing in the shallows, when the seal approached her.
“It’s not every day you get a sea lion as your surfing buddy!” reads the caption. “It was so fun playing in the waves with this sea lion! When the sea lions came up to me in the water it was scary at first, but I soon learned they just want to play with you!”
It should be noted here that sea lions are not domesticated and it’s always best to keep your distance from them — they can be aggressive and some populations are in the midst of a possible rabies outbreak — but one can imagine that it would be difficult to ignore the sea lion in the video.
“We made sure to give them their space and not disturb them,” the TikTok user told Newsweek. “They were so curious and playful and they were always the ones to approach us.”
@cozisadventures It’s not every day you get a sea lion as your surfing buddy! It was so fun playing in the waves with this sea lion! When the sea lions came up to me in the water it was scary at first, but I soon learned they just want to play with you! • • • #surfsup #outerbankslife #sealions #sealionsofinstagram #galapagossealion #sealionisland #galapagos #galapagosislands #traveldiaries #travelcouple #cozisadventures #exploretheworld #travelphotography #adventures #oceanlover #oceanlife #playfulsealions ♬ original sound – 🌊🌸🫶
