Coming face to face with a playful sea lion pup

In 2024, I traveled to one of my favorite dive sites, Los Islotes, to capture the incredible behaviors of the area’s fun-loving California sea lions. Located in a marine protected area, the rocky islets are home to a large reproductive colony at the southernmost tip of the sea lions’ range.

The pups play games in the clear waters, which teem with colorful reef fish, and fetch is a favorite. They’ll scout out a promising sea star and carry it to the ocean’s surface, only to drop it, chase after it, and snatch it back up. Games like this allow the young pinnipeds to hone their hunting skills, which are being put to the test as rising ocean temperatures reduce the availability of sardines and other prey.

On this unusually warm October day, I descended 30 feet to the seabed and hovered, waiting for a star to fall. As my air supply dwindled and I was about to end the dive, I spotted a bright blur, and a sea lion speeding after it. I quickly moved underneath, pointed my camera up, and met the pup just as it nabbed the starfish, my lens ending only three to four inches away from its mouth—much to its surprise.

Underwater photography can be unforgiving. After weeks of planning, I’m loaded with heavy equipment and limited by my body’s need to breathe. But moments like this, when everything lines up just right, keep me in the water.