Galápagos sea lion off the shore of Fernandina Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
© Tui De Roy/Minden Picture
A day for the oceans
The Galápagos sea lion is found in two places in the world—its namesake locale and the Isla de la Plata just off the coast of Ecuador. They're often spotted playing and surfing in the waves. They're gregarious on land, too, sometimes even grabbing a snooze on a town bench. Although a common and beloved sight in the islands, Galápagos sea lions are endangered, and their numbers are susceptible to changes in ocean temperatures, which can limit their food supply.
Enter World Oceans Day. Celebrated annually on June 8 and recognised by the UN, the holiday aims to focus global attention on the health of our oceans. This year's theme calls for world leaders to commit to protecting 30% of the seas and 30% of the land by 2030 to help ensure species diversity, like our friendly Galápagos sea lion, and safeguard life as we know it.
Bubbles in the ice of Abraham Lake in Alberta, Canada
Walruses near Kvitøya in the Svalbard archipelago, Norway
A fin whale in the waters off the Azores
Cefalù on Mediterranean Sea in Sicily, Italy
Manatees in the Ichetucknee River in Florida, USA.
A Brandt's cormorant hunts for a meal in a school of Pacific mackerel beneath an oil rig off the coast of Los Angeles, California, USA
Green sea turtle with sardines near Playa Grandi Beach, Curaçao
Sperm whale mother and albino baby swimming off the coast of Portugal
