Galápagos Sea Lions

0:00Miss Miao Miao and I want to give a super duper shout out to our newest Patreon members, EJ and Everly from Oxnard, California. Oh, what's this Miss Miao Miao? You have an incoming message, let's see who it could be. Well, Ducky Pickles, I'm Miss Miao Miao, I'm Jacob from South Korea, Seoul, and I love to hear about maybe sea lions from the Galapagos. Thank you, Ducky Pickles, I'm Miss Miao Miao, I love you. You're right, Galapagos sea lions are a well-serific request. Thanks so much to Jagga from South Korea for suggesting this episode's cozy critter.

1:05Now, on with the show. Hey, Howdy, in hippopotamus high fives my sleepy friend, it's your old pal, Ducky Pickles. And I'm here with my sidekick, the sleepiest cat in all the land, Miss Miao Miao. Tonight, we're drifting to a place where the sun feels like a warm hug, where black lava rocks map besides turquoise waves, and the ocean sparkles like its whispering secrets to the shore. We're about to meet a critter who turns every beach into a playground, the Galapagos sea lion.

2:12I'd love to hear a joke, Miss Miao Miao, why did the sea lion blow out the candles? Because it was celebrating its birthday. Let's get our magical traveling balloon ready, I need your help blowing it up. So taking a deep breath through your nose, and exhale through your mouth, great job. Just one more time my sleepy friend, taking a deep breath through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth. We did it, now our magic balloon is all blown up.

3:13Tonight, our balloon is swirled with ocean blues and sunlit golds like an ocean wave wearing sunglasses. My sleepy friend, are you ready to meet a Galapagos sea lion? Let's get in the magical hot air balloon basket, and here we go. First, we rise high above your bedroom, then higher, and even higher, until your house looks like a tiny, cozy shell resting on the land. Floating alongside us is a blue-footed booby, flashing its bright blue feet like it's wearing cool sneakers.

4:22Oh look, we're here, can you guess where we are? Let's use our noses and see what we can smell, taking a deep breath through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. It smells like salty air and warm sunshine with a hint of volcanic stone, like the earth baked a beach cookie just for us. We're floating over the Galapagos Islands where land meets sea in a gentle splash. Oh wow, look what Miss Meow Meow just spotted, stretched out along the shoreline.

5:26Scattered across the sand and rocks are soft, rounded shapes resting in the sun. These are Galapagos sea lions. Their bodies are smooth and sturdy. Their flippers tucked in close, and their whiskered faces turned toward the sun. Galapagos sea lions are a type of eared seal, which means they have tiny ear flaps. You can sometimes spot if you look closely. And unlike true seals, they can twist their back flippers underneath their bodies, helping them scoot, climb, and balance on rocky shorelines.

6:34They move in a way that slow and wiggly on land, but once they slip into the water, everything changes. Those same flippers turn into powerful paddles. Sea lions glide through the ocean like they were poured into it. They dip and dive, curve and spin, slipping below the surface. They can hold their breath for more than 20 minutes as they search for fish, and slide using their sharp eyes and sensitive whiskers to guide them.

7:35Those whiskers are very special indeed, Miss Meow Meow. They help sea lions feel tiny movements in the water, gentle ripples, and whispers of motion. Even when they can't see clearly, it's like reading the ocean with their face. When they're ready, sea lions burst back to the surface in a splash of bubbles, lifting their heads into the air for a quick breath, before sinking back down again. But as skilled as they are in the water, sea lions also know when it's time to rest. Along the shore, you can see them piled together like warm stones, flippers overlapping,

8:42bodies rising and falling with slow, steady breaths. Some are wide awake, lifting their heads to watch the waves. Others are deeply asleep, whiskers twitching as if they're dreaming of underwater adventures. Galapagos sea lion mothers spend a very long time caring for their pups sometimes for years. Because of that, you'll often see pups of many different sizes in the same group, all learning and growing together in their own time.

9:42Some pups swim competently, darting through the shallows, some stay close to shore, watching carefully. Some try a little, then rest, and try again. The waves roll in and out, slow and steady. The beach grows quieter, and the sun begins to soften its glow. Miss Miamya is all curled up in the balloon basket. Her tail wrapped neatly around her paws, her breathing deep and steady, like a sea lion pup. I'm pretty tired too. How about you,

10:44my sleepy friend? Are you ready to head home and dream of our new animal friend, the Galapagos sea lion? Well then, let's head home. Here we go. First, we rise gently above the shoreline. The ocean hums a low, sleepy song as we float higher, and higher, and even higher. The sea lines below settle into stillness. Flippers tucked, whiskers relaxed. The blue-footed booby glides past us one more time before veering toward the horizon. While we head home, I thought of a low-up eye I want to share

11:51with you. It goes like this. Sea lions dream were the tide run slow, where moonlight paints the waves below. Flippers fold, and worries cease, wrapped in rest, and ocean peace. Sleep now, friend, till morning light, when the sea sparkles fresh and bright. For now, drift gently through the night, and dream of islands warm and quiet. Oh look, you're back home. Miss Meow Meow and I had such a wonderful time with you.

12:55We hope to see you soon when we visit our next animal friend. Hyenas. Until next time, my sleepy friend, Tulu, and cozy critter dreams too. Miss Meow Meow and I want to give an extra special thank you to our Patreon supporters, including those in the Walserific tier. Noelle from Nebraska. Xenia from Washington, DC. Abram and Leia from Virginia. Joey from Washington Township, New Jersey. Gloria, Claudia, and Veronica from Long Valley, New Jersey.

13:55Kaya in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kennedy from Edmunds, Washington. Caroline and Nora from North Carolina. Otis and Lily from Montana, Charlotte from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Caroline from Madison, Wisconsin. And Esme and Rory from Massachusetts. Cozy Critters is produced by me, Doug Frazier, and distributed by PRX. Make sure to subscribe to Cozy Critters on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts. Xenia from PRX.