A Playful Sea Lion Encounter in California | National Geographic

I'm Marie McGrory, a producer on National Geographic Travel. When my partner and I went snorkeling on vacation, we were not expecting to meet a huge, happy sea lion. So how did we get here, and what's going on with the sea lion?

Let's roll back the tape. La Paz, the capital of Baja California, is a hub of aquatic adventures right in the heart of what Jack Cousteau called "the aquarium of the world." A one-hour boat ride will take you to Espiritu Santo, a stunning group of islands that are perhaps most famous for their sea lion colony on Los Islotes.

Sea lions are naturally curious and playful, especially the juveniles. They explore with their mouths and can often be seen nibbling on flippers. So what happened here? It seems like some of my partner's gear caught the eye of this particular sea lion. It grabbed onto his back so that it could float its head above water and play with his snorkel a little bit.

This was such a cool moment, and since my partner remained calm, we all really got to enjoy it. I can't wait for my next trip back. [Music]