The waters around the Galapagos Islands are a microcosm of diversity. It reflects the vast assortment of life worldwide in one contained ecosystem. A visitor to the area happened upon an interesting scene as they returned to their hotel one evening. Looking down into the calm waters, they spotted a young sea lion playfully chasing a small blacktip reef shark.
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There is much speculation in the comment section about what is really happening. Some say the sea lion is actively chasing the shark to eat it. A marine biologist likens the dance to the “circle of life.” The shark is a blacktip reef shark. The sea lion might snack on that, but this one appears more interested in playing than a meal.
The Galapagos sea lion typically eats fish, clams, squid, and crabs. Generally, they tend to eat food they can swallow whole, so this little reef shark wouldn’t usually be considered a menu item. The sea lions tend to stay close to shore because large sharks and Orcas like to snack on them in the waters farther out.
Blacktip reef sharks can grow to about six feet. The one playing in the video appears to be around two feet long. As the two weave around the items in the marina, they seem to be dancing gracefully. It is difficult to determine if this is a predator-prey scene or simply two young animals engaged in play. The young sea lion does not appear to be aggressively pursuing the shark. At times, it even seems that the shark pursues the sea lion.
After watching this video countless times, I offer my non-biased opinion that this is two young animals playing together and nothing more.
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