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.
A pod of narwhals near Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada
Young humpback whale giving its mother a hug off the coast of Tonga
Sperm whale mother and albino baby swimming off the coast of Portugal
Emperor penguins in the Ross Sea, Antarctica
Long-beaked common dolphin pod and diving Cape gannets hunting Pacific sardines off the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Sperm whale off the coast of Roseau, Dominica, in the Caribbean Sea
Giant manta ray and a photographer off the Ningaloo Coast, Australia
Adélie penguin in Graham Passage, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
