When Sea Lions Climb Hillsides (and swim with humans later)

"Go swim with the sea lions at the Reserve," said Andy from the harbor dive shop.

I was in for a surprise.  Sure enough, they got amazingly close.  But what I didn't expect to see were the sea lions on top of the hill -- way way above the water!

Dirt darkened by their shuffling flippers, carving out terraces and pathways, they milled around the hillside. What were they doing way up there?

On the opposite northwest side of the island, we observed these Hillside-Dwelling Sea Lions in a chaotic display:



Scores of sea lions were on the ridgeline. They made their way down to the rocks.  Their "highway" was like a natural Slip & Slide, which went through a huge flock of cormorants. The birds grew restless, flapping their wings. Poor things, they can't fly from a standing start.  So they intersected the path of the sea lions in order to jump off the cliff, like hangliders. This caused a massive traffic jam. A flurry of flapping wings and barking sea lions ensued for ten minutes.

What motivated these sea lions, I wondered, to carry their heavy blubbery bodies up to the top of the hill?  Perhaps it was a "King of the Hill" mating ritual that turned into a societal norm.  Who knows, in 10.000 years they might have erected mud huts and thrones!

"On a small island, one cannot question the ways of evolution," says the Pygmy Mammoth.

Back in their natural element, they came to investigate when I jumped into the water with a snorkle. The juveniles kept swimming closer, making last minute turns, as if challenging each other to get closer to this foreign creature. Their eyes were big and bright. Maybe even having fun?

That joy made the island feel alive.  I've been in places where things feel dead, decaying.  This felt exuberant, flourishing. Maybe that is a measure of how healthy Nature is... alive-ness.