This sea lion is a regular at a fishery, as she waits patiently on her flippers for her fish lunch.
The cheeky creature walked from the sea to the fish shop and waited an hour for her turn.
The sea lion returned to the water after being offered scraps of fish by the compassionate fisherman. Photographer Kristhian Castro captured these heartwarming images while visiting Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The Colombian, 38, snapped the fishy photos in a dock a herring’s throw from the sea.
‘The sea lion is hunting for fish leftovers left over from the filleting process, which are normally found in the fishing port,’ Mr Castro explained. I thought it really intriguing, and I particularly appreciated the moment since the sea lion seemed to be a client.
‘I anticipated seeing a lot of wildlife; it was so shocking to learn that the animals there aren’t frightened of humans.’
‘It was hilarious to watch it stand on its back flippers.’
For over an hour, the sea lion stood. It ate many fish leftovers before jumping back into the sea.
‘The fish on the market were Wizzard Fish and Bigeye Tuna.
‘The fishing stall is near the sea, only 212 meters away, and there is a raised platform 112 meters above the water’s surface. It simply dives back into the ocean.’
Mr Castro stated that this isn’t a huge problem for the locals, saying, ‘For locals, it’s typical.’
‘They are used to being in close vicinity to wildlife, but they never touch or engage with them.’
‘I really like the photographs that demonstrate the peace between man and animal as a result of this community’s care for nature.’
