Now here I’m a bit out of my depth. This is not the lion I know that roams the bush in search of an antelope to make a meal of. This one swims in the sea, basks in the sun at the Cape Town Water Front and STINKS….
I realise they are not only at the Water Front in Cape Town, but these are the only ones I’ve seen in their natural habitat, if basking on the concrete is their natural habitat.
One that had obviously been basking a while was nice and dry. The other made its appearance and seemed to be able to jump up onto the concrete without much effort, even though it seemed FAT… (is one allowed to use that word? Or is it now deemed bad, unconstitutional or demeaning? Maybe it is weight impaired? My blog so we stick to FAT.)
Here’s a few photos….
Certainly are different things to photograph in the Cape….
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 
LOVE “The Thinker”, we are seeing lots of sea lions around where we are too. They need that fat for the cold water!
Brenda
Hilarious version of ‘the thinker’!
Thank you..
Love the captions. Great pictures.
Thank you…
On the last post the bird was cracking me up with her fancy crown.
Here you are cracking me up with your sense of humor. 😆
Glad you enjoyed both RoSy…
The first big guy looked mighty happy with himself. Since I can’t smell him to impair my opinion of him, I will simply think he looks like a cutie 🙂
Whilst the first was alone the smell was not bad, but when that one jumped out of the water,,, phew the smell came with him…
Your photos and captions are a treat. 🙂 I didn’t realize there were fleas in the sea before I saw this. 😉
Thanks Imelda… not sure if there are fleas in the sea… but I’m sure there must be an equivalent pest…
I wonder what the thinker is thinking about the smell ..MOL 😀
Now that is what I thought… maybe contemplating another body deodorant.??…
We’ve seen quite a few of these guys on the California. Guess we didn’t get close enough for the smell!
They are quite the subject to take photos of… if they could just improve on that body odour…
Hahaha @ the thinker!
They really do STINK.
You know then… thanks Louisa…
I just love The Thinker – great work, Rob! 😀
Thanks Dianne…
I sooooo needed your photos and humor today!! Thanks, Bulldog! Awesome shots, as always! Hope your business went well there as well as your visit.
The visit and business went well… maybe better than we actually expected…
That first expression is priceless. It’s great to see you taking photos again Rob.
Thanks Paula… not for long I’m afraid .. off to hospital again on Friday…
I will be sending you positive energy, Rob. Have faith that you will be OK.
Un leone veramente adorabile che hai fotografato benissimo. Bravissimo 🙂
Ciao, Pat
Thanks so much Pat…
Love the pics and the great captions. Really made me smile! Thanks!
Thanks Ute
Awwwwe!!! He’s smiling!! I love these photos. :))
Thanks Laura..
you’re welcome! 😀
I love these photos…
Thanks Sherri
These are some of the best sea lions photos I’ve seen. Marvelous.
Thank you Cee…
Love the third one. 🙂 We have a lot of sea lions on the coast here and I agree . . . they stink.
Thanks Maralee, it was a toss up between photos and stink or no photos… the photos won and the stink we just put up with… lol
You really had great fun with these, bulldog. What a sweet face he has, and I love the captions. 😀
Thanks AD.. definitely different to what I normally take photos of… was not sure what to capture…
Great pics, I wonder do they make lot of noises too? Seal or Sea Lions ? now Im confused, they looked the same to me.
They are very vocal and very loud too… Seals or Sea Lions.. I hope I ID this correctly…
I had no idea the Cape could be so cold. This is definitely a different kind of shoot for you Bulldog and you have captured these beautifully. We too have sea lions that tend to hang out in many places where there is lots of human traffic and they do bring an unpleasant smell with them. I happen to like the harbor seals myself, with their beautiful little faces that look like they are smiling. 🙂
It is truly a beautiful animal and time constraints ensured that I did spend too long with them, but I got some great photos that I’m happy with. Just missed out on those playing in the water… fascinating mammals…
On a different line online on lions, for sure!
btw – you may get a giggle from:
http://colonialist.wordpress.com/2014/06/08/a-really-awfully-la-di-da-hadeda/
Thanks Col… going to have a look at the link…
Oh such memories this brings! “Sealy” was my favorite childhood Steif stuffed animal. My father bought it for me during a visit to the aquarium and it’s held a place of honor in every bedroom I’ve had ever since! I love sea lions! Thank you for starting my day so perfectly!!
It is my pleasure I hope yours had a more pleasant odour…
I like your version of the thinker. It’s always hard to imagine that such lumbering creatures on land are so sprightly in water.
Thanks Brian.. I could not get a single capture of those playing in the water, too fast and man talk of turning on a penny.. I got photos of the water where I thought they’d be surfacing, they however turned before the spot and went in the opposite direction… also they seem so much smaller or streamlined in the water than on the land…
What fantastic shots.
Love the ‘weight impaired’ image. It’s almost like looking in a mirror (for me), except that I’ve got different coloured eyes and no whiskers!
Vicki now you are exaggerating… these things are all blubber and very little else, but I must admit when in water you wouldn’t say so… if it wasn’t for their smell they would be very cuddly.. and that is how I describe myself,,, cuddly…
Wow, I don’t think I’ve seen photos of sea lions quite like these before! Very sweet. I had no idea they were stinky though.
Thanks Vanessa, these seemed un-perturbed by our presence and as the Water Front in Cape Town is just alive with people the whole time I have to assume they get used to people gawking at them … they were right at the jetty where the Robbin Island tours embark and disembark, a very busy area of the place….
I know that smell! Now we have found a mammal we both know well. I think the color of your sea lion is a little more grey than I’m accustomed to seeing. They are fascinating animals when they try to play and lumber about! I wouldn’t have placed them at the Cape, so I’ve learned something. Smelly, but kinda cute. 🙂
Ronnie, I was surprised at the smell, the one had been resting up a while and dry and there was very little odour hanging around, when the one jumped up out of the sea it brought this smell with it… and the dry one started barking at it… I wondered if maybe it did not enjoy the smell as well…. I was trying to capture a few cavorting in the sea but they are just too swift for my eye and camera… moving about like that sure gives a false sense of their size… wished I had more time with them though…
Great pictures and very funny commentary today bulldog – thanks for the laugh!
Diana xo
Thanks Diana… it sure was a different photo shoot in the Cape…
Ah Rob you are hilarious! You may not be used to photographing these guys but you’ve done a bloody good job!
It was so dam cold I’m surprised they came out so well… as for that wind, no I think I’ll stay rather in the North where the real lion are… thanks Jan.. it sure was a little different from what I’m used to…
I always thought of sea lions as being adorably lazy…but they obviously work hard for their food, right? 😉 Great pics, the guy/gal in the last shot is a sweetie pie.
I’m sure they swim around chasing fish for food… our fairest cape though, is well known for the great white sharks, so I supposed they don’t laze around out there taking their time… seeing as the great white can move pretty fast, these lads/gals must move pretty quickly themselves…
Maybe the flubber is to keep warm in the cold cape? I’d love to see that fair cape for myself one day.
I haven’t been there for at least 15 years and it was not the best of greetings with the rain, cold and snow all two of which I’m not adverse too… however it remains a fascinatingly beautiful place… and of course no one can steal the mountain…
Cute 🙂
Ta..
Great photos. (I was going to say “your photos stink” but you know I don’t mean it).
Thanks Anneli… just looking at the photos I get a strong reminder of that stinky smell… so the photos do tend to stink…
Yes, your photos really do “come alive.”