Have you ever heard a sea lion howl? It’s heartbreaking and a little frightening, but their cries have made me feel compassionate. These marine mammals of the sea lion family are very agile in the water, but move awkwardly on land. They reminded me of the albatrosses (frequently seen in southern Chile) described by Baudelaire, whose «gigantic wings prevent them from walking». People do not shy away from taunting and provoking sea lions. They know that the animal can’t reach them when it’s on the sand. It is difficult to understand the relationship between these animals and between them and the people: their overpopulation has become a nuisance for the fishermen (they damage boats and nets, climb on boats and eat fish), but the fishermen give them the leftovers at the end of the market, which attracts them even more. For their part, the sea lions seem to be fighting all the time (almost all of them are slightly injured), but we learn that they also bite each other for seduction purposes! I took this photo while standing on a pontoon, and the configuration of the site forced me to frame it in portrait, so you can look at it vertically if you like, but I think it looks better in landscape. From this angle, it’s easier to see how the sea lions combine with their shadows to become more menacing!