Sea lion pups and children are made for each other. The pups dart as a close as they can to children playing in the water, and then flee, daring the kids to follow. On Gardner Bay at Espanola Island, this pup seems to be daring a young girl to catch it if she can. Hands high, she is about to plunge forward. As she hit the water, the pup was long gone. This is one of those moments when everything hangs in the balance. Just as I shot this image, those arms flew skyward, and the pup has already half-turned away. This behavior pattern is common throughout the Galapagos. The snorkelers in our group often reported that young sea lions would swim close to them under water and then glide away, a memorable moment for all concerned.