The Galapagos Islands host some of the most exotic and amazing animals on the planet.
Most popular among these are sea lions whose playful, curious, and intelligent natures have made them a hit among tourists and locals alike.
That’s why this street-smart baby sea lion who looked ways before crossing the road is a real attention-grabber:
[rumble video_id=v66yob domain_id=u7nb2]
Video credit: Rumble
The video shows the adorably awkward baby sea lion as it waddles near a surprised woman on the way to the curb. It then looks one way but as it’s crossing, it seemingly knows what the dotted line marker on the road means and stops to look both ways before finally crossing to the other side. You could say that this little guy is smarter than some human pedestrians in this regard (especially when those humans are absorbed in their smartphones while crossing the road)!
The anatomy of sea lions make them graceful swimmers but also handicaps them when they’re on land. They use their flippers like legs but need to drag their bodies on the ground. It’s a slow process that makes them quite vulnerable when they’re not on the water.
But that’s what makes the Galapagos Islands so special because residents take their relationship to nature very seriously.
There are strict prohibitions on how much development can be done on the land and people make sure that the wildlife is given enough space so that they don’t feel threatened or get stressed out. These restrictions are also stringently applied to tourists.
That’s likely the reason the baby sea lion was comfortable navigating the human jungle and didn’t think twice about being in close proximity to people. It’s one of the most perfect blends between nature and civilization that you will see on the planet.
But even beyond the confines of the Galapagos, one wouldn’t have any trouble befriending sea lions. They are aptly nicknamed “sea dogs” and share a lot of traits that we would find in our beloved canine family members such as being friendly, mischievous, and just being needy of attention. If you’re on a boat and have a sea lion nearby, it’s just as likely to jump aboard and befriend you!
It’s too bad that not all locations are like the Galapagos but we can thank our lucky stars that such a place exists at all. It’s a virtual paradise where one can experience close encounters with the wildlife while being a literal stone’s throw away from a human settlement.
Replaced!