shari
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Snorkeling with Sealions at Isla Asuncion
Father's Day here in Asuncion began with a wonderful tour of isla Asuncion with amigos Maria & Mick from Mulege and Mick's daughters from Norway.
We first stopped to see the seabirds nesting...there were baby cormorants who couldnt fly yet sitting on the nests and diving into the
water...pelicans nesting and lots of oyster catchers. These 2 sealions were arguing.
We then visited the most protected cove...the nursery where we found newborn sealions about a week old. they were just beginning to move about and
were so cute wobbiling around.
The dominant bulls would patrol the beach in front of them so we didnt get too close.
There are also seals mixed in with the sealions.
Our nomad Mulegena is one tough cookie...she dove into the icy water with only a diveskin on and stayed in frolicking with the sealions for over half
an hour...WOW!! Here she is with the big bull checking her out.
I think the sealions enjoyed the encounter as much as the kids did..they sure played alot with them.
and when they finally climbed aboard, the juvenile sealions followed us.
On the way home the kids bundled up and Sirena continued making booties for baby.
It was a fantastic day at the Island...those kids were so brave to jump in that cold water...here is a slideshow of the trip if ya wanna see more
photos.
http://s385.photobucket.com/albums/oo295/blowhole1/Sealions%...
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Udo
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Thanks for the slide show, Shari. An unforgettable trip for your guests, HUH?
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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Barbareno
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That looks like so much fun! Think I may have to try that.
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David K
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Great photos Shari!
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wessongroup
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Thanks so much for all the time and effort putting it all up... it was worth if for me...
Something those folks will have to remember for the rest of their lives..
Not too many places left in the world where one can do that, even if the water was a bit cold.. (what is the temp?) mid 60s?
Can't believe we used to go in without wet suits, back in the day... a dry towel was more than a dry towel..
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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This really is an amazing adventure and easy to do because the island is only 10 minutes from the shore and all you need to do is jump in the ocean
with these curious critters...although I must say, I wont be jumping in that water (which I doubt reached 60 degrees...brrrrr)_until august when it
warms up to the upper 70's or 80.
The sealions are real clowns and are as curious about us as we are about them. They come very close but seem to stop at an invisible wall a meter in
front of you and are not agressive but playful and are bummed when you get out of the water. So Barb...we WILL do this when you get here!!!!
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Mulegena
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Thanks for a great day on the sea, Shari & Juan!
This was such a nice little visit.
I think I loved it more than anybody... except maybe the sea lions who appeared delighted to have someone new to play with.
Those little baby sea lions are just a delight-- so tiny and barely learning to clamber around on the rocky island shores. Juan says they're born
twice a year, December and June. These little guys in Shari's pix are as young as a week or two.
And that big grey male, Mr. Ah-Oh!!, kept everything in order while we were on his side of the island. We named him that because he kept repeating
that phrase over and over and loud which was good because I always knew where he was. A couple times he came very close to me but never was
threatening in any way, just a powerful presence in and under the waves.
And yes, the water was spanking cold at first, but then my body became unusually warm. After 15 minutes it was comfortable to have my hands submerged
then eventually even my head. I swam with them for about a half-hour and felt I could have stayed another half-hour. When I first jumped in I
screamed at the shock of the water and Juan said with a knowing smile from the safe harbor of the panga, "Es frio, si?" and I asked him how he does
this every day for an hour or more at a crack. He said the trick is a thick wetsuit, hood and gloves. Admiration for Juan and his fellow professional
freedivers grew immensely.
It was a wonderful and exhilarating experience for myself and to share with Mick and his girls, Emma and Thea, and Shari, Sirena and Juan.
This should now be on The Baja Bucket List for all Nomads.
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Baja Bernie
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Shari
Showed this to Jaime and she went nuts...put it at the head of her Bucket list...hope we can make it this year.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Bernie...cant wait to see you & Jaime!! and the sea lions are waiting to play with her too...best time of year is when the water is 80 degrees
between mid August and December.
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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I dont know about other areas, but here we have never had any aggressive sealion encounters at all. They are very very curious and playful and keep
their safe distance. Nobody feeds them by hand which is great so they dont expect that. We do advise the snorkelers not to reach out to them...it's
really cool.
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Don't those animals get a little aggressive and dangerous at times? [not Bernie and Jaime....the sea lions] |
only if you bother them.
my dog likes to chase them, by running up/down the beach to bark at them from shore. when he chases them by swimming in water, he is slow and not a
real threat, but he has been nipped on belly a few times by annoyed (or playful?) sea lions
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Mexitron
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Nice pics shari. When I used to surf up in the Central California coast there would be otters and seals around us a lot of the time---never bothered
anyone and just seemed mostly curious...the only thing that made me think twice was that the sharks like to be around the seals too...
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Curt63
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Thanks for the great pics. What a fun day playing in the ocean!
Diving with lobos gives me the willies.
When I used to commercial dive for sea urchins in the Channel Islands, lobos were a bad sign (whitey snacks).
No worries
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