I was the last to get in; the water was perfect, refreshing but not cold. We swam around the boat and through our goggles could view the sea bottom. One or another sea lion would swim below us. There were star fish; Oscar even showed us one. It wasn’t very deep and there were colorful fish among the rocks. We swam, and from under the water I could see a number of sea lions spontaneously come out to see us. Curious, not aggressive, but also not super friendly – just friendly enough. They would encircle us, or disappear – kicking up sand from the sea bottom as they sped by. There was no rush. We could stay there for quite some time. So, we come to recommendation 3: If you know how to swim under water, DO IT! Be patient. Do pirouettes in the water, touch the bottom, spin, swim from one side to another and act foolish a while (you’re in their spot
so don’t invade their space). You’ll soon find out the sea lions will start to come near. Suddenly, one will allow itself to come close and spin to the right, or the left. I tried to imitate them and I guess they found it funny because they kept getting closer and closer. You can hear barks under the water, and they’re not the same ones from above. There’s an entire communication there below; it’s like getting a glimpse of two worlds. Later, “papa” came out and put everything back in order. The pups returned rapidly to the shore. I noticed he saw me and was swimming at a prudent distance…and I thought it better to get near the boat…he was an impressive macho. I continued my sea investigation; discovering how much I could see on the floor bottom, and if I saw a sea lion I’d play around with him. Little by little everyone got back…
