Description
LOCATION: Mexico
STORY BEHIND THE SHOT: Sea lions are such an absolute joy to swim and interact with. But when swimming with them, you need to divide them up into 3 groups. The enormous bulls – it’s best to leave them alone, as they are sooo strong & powerful, and can get a little cranky. The females – they’re sometimes pretty playful & curious. Half of them want to be left alone, and the other half will swim with you all day, interacting and playing. And then there’s the pups – pure joy! These babies (like some of the females) absolutely love to play, and can be really mischievous, chewing on scuba gear, fingers, cameras; pretty much nothing is off-limits to them – you are their toy! And yes, sometimes the bigger females can get a little too bitey. They’re not trying to hurt you, but just like a dog, they can be too rough without realizing it, and those teeth are sharp! But this girl – she’s probably around 2-3 months old, and wanted nothing but to play. She followed me into this small cave, and from ~30′ back into the cave, I used it’s opening to create a natural frame around her.
California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) can be found from southern Mexico all the way up to Alaska. They commonly form large herds, up to 500, and while they’re sometimes perfectly happy on docks or human towns, they more often prefer to be isolated on small islands far from civilization, on “rookeries”. And while they look like dogs and often act like dogs, they’re actually not closely related to dogs at all.
For a fun marine mammal trio, try displaying it alongside the harbor seal from Sealed with a Kiss, and the cute manatee in Six Pack. Art in three’s is always a great interior design idea.
TO PURCHASE A PRINT: Brown Eyed Girl is presented as a 3:2 vertical print, but it’s actually quite customizable into other shapes such as squares, or even a horizontal. You can purchase vertical prints online here from 16×24″ up to 72×48″, but inquire with our design staff about custom shapes & sizes up to 150″ tall.