I came to the Galapagos only for the animals, that I actually prefer them to humans now, a typical misanthrope quality that you don’t have to take seriously. The archipelago is like one big zoo for me, only the animals are in their natural habitats. Even though they coexist with the natives of the island, they are all protected by the national park, and the tourists here can be arrested or required to pay heavy fines if they violate the guidelines.

Whenever I came down to the town during those lazy afternoons, I would see these sea lions hanging out anywhere they want, and people don’t seem to mind. This became my own personal amusement. Sometimes I would walk around the town or go to the pier just to capture these photo bombers! I probably have more pictures with them than with humans.

The locals seemed to be uninterested anymore, they would probably be amazed more by stray dogs or dirty pigeons. The people continue to go on with their daily routine in this small town while becoming oblivious to the presence of these fascinating creatures.

The sea lions seem so close yet so far. I controlled myself from not hugging or touching them. Otherwise, they will bark at me loudly like a dog. They seem to do that as a warning to those pesky tourists who just ‘didn’t get it.’

In those moments of gazing at them, or those times spent communicating with them in silence, they actually taught me a few lessons in life. I’m sharing to you now the outcome of those pondering moments, with the best photos of the sea lions I’ve collected in the past 2 months.

Adapt to Your Environment

The sea lions seemed to be living in harmony with the locals. I never get tired of seeing them even after having spent 2 months here in this special place. It is not every day I get to see a sea lion so I enjoyed every moment spent with them. If they are not in the water, you’ll probably see them on the benches at the pier, where people usually wait for the motorboat taxi or the inter-island ships. The sea lions have learned to adapt to this kind of environment.

I was always in different places during my travel that I would sometimes complain when things become uncomfortable, or I would constantly point out those things that are different from my country. If I had continued doing this, I would have probably annoyed the locals. The country is designed to make their own people comfortable, and since I was the newcomer, I should learn how to adapt. Everywhere is different and being able to adapt is just one way to broaden your perspective.

Be Yourself

If there was one thing that the sea lions constantly reminded me of, was that to be myself wherever I go. Being myself could mean a lot of different things, you know like being hyperactive and happy, extremely sad, weird laugh, bright smile or being anti-social, if you could label that to one those disorders overhyped by the west, that is probably called bi-polar. But just like the sea lion wasted from all day salt-water drinking, I don’t care what people think as long as I’m happily living my life, chilling out here and not harming anyone.

Choose to be Happy

Those sea lions seem not to have any worries in the world, and they have plenty of time to sleep wherever they want. They are happy creatures.

Sometimes life gets in the way and humans can be as annoying as hell, but if I just let myself be consumed with all these meaningless troubles, I’m only making myself unhappy. I can always choose to ignore the bad things and not let those take over my life. Life is short to dwell on negative things. The only thing I can do is to not take things seriously and just stay happy.

Have Fun

Surely those sea lions know how to have fun. I always see them striking a pose for the tourists, and they seem to be enjoying the photo shoot as long as people are doing it from a distance and are not provoking them. You will usually spot them at the fisherman’s pier, waiting for the fresh catch. So they don’t have to work hard anymore. They realize how useful humans can be.

I learned how to just have fun wherever I am and not care about what other people think. I like to enjoy my life as much as possible and find happiness in every little thing. It was surely a fun time for me being in The Galapagos, that even being bored was still fun. I looked around and realized, what’s not to be happy about anyway.

Relax and Enjoy Life

I will sometimes see those sea lions occupying any possible space, including those comfy kayas there. They are pretty laid back and they really know how to relax and just chill.

There are a lot of things that distract me from enjoying the moment. But I learned to just take my time to relax and enjoy life. Even when I was traveling, I brought with me this constant rush, this go here, get this, do this, move, repeat. It was exhausting! I learned to just chill and enjoy the little pleasures in life without speeding.

The Power of the Collective

That seafood vendor didn't seem harassed by those sea lions and pelicans around her because with the presence of these animals, she was able to attract tourists who might want to buy from her. And in return, these animals were rewarded, that I saw her threw them a fish or some guts. The animals became dependent of course, nevertheless, it was still a win-win situation for everyone. The big demand was supplied.

We are divided by our beliefs, it’s always the “us vs. them”. Anywhere I go there will always be this endless bickering and meaningless fight resulting from our own differences. But in the end, we all share the same goal, we all long for peace, abundance, and freedom. So why not use the power of the collective to achieve these instead?

We Are All Connected

When there is a balance, ecosystems will thrive. And to ensure optimal success, the animals play off of one another. I felt like we have already sort of removed ourselves from directly participating in our respective ecosystems, but this does not mean we no longer influence other species. We are all interdependent, and by looking at the connections between animals can teach us that we’re not as distant as we might think.

Express Yourself

Seeing a sea lion enjoying the rubber mat at the pier was truly enjoyable, and this creature doesn't seem to care what the stupid humans think. Of all the animals, I think the sea lions are the real free spirits. There’s so much space around where they are free to do anything enjoyable to their heart’s content.

I learned not to limit myself to the same pattern of life. I already know that I get pretty bored quickly. When I was younger I was a little bit concerned about what those around me might think, and as I grow older I realized that I’m free to express myself and be creative. I am not scared anymore to put myself out there and be judged, to hell with other people anyway. In the end, they will always have something to say. I know what I stand for and I know what I like, if that’s not ok with people then it’s not my problem. In the end, the only person I need to impress is myself.