AT SEA WITH LIONS
- Leandro Cagiano
- Jul 11
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 2
An incredible and unusual experience of being among the gentle giant sea lions that migrate every year to the coast of Rio Grande do Sul.
When we think of large mammals, images of elephants, giraffes, whales, lions... maybe even bears come to mind. But we hardly ever remember sea lions. These giants, furry creatures with enormous canines and a reasonable mane, can weigh around 400 kilograms and measure up to 2.60 meters from head to tail. Out of the water, when they puff up and project their chest forward and stand on their enormous flippers, they reach the fabulous height of 1 meter and 80 centimeters. A giant! Yet, despite their size, they remain largely outside our associations with mega fauna. Perhaps because they live in regions close to the poles, where the sea is colder and human presence is scarce? Perhaps because they are not as ferocious as African lions? Perhaps because they are seen as too docile? If so, it is because they have not been seen in colonies during mating season.
Here, in the South Atlantic, sea lion breeding colonies are concentrated on the coast of Argentina and Uruguay. And it is during the summer that these cute creatures with manes engage in violent clashes in the dispute for females. However, the important thing here is not the war, but the peace they seek. That is why, curiously, they come to Brazil every year. It is a kind of vacation on the tropical, or almost tropical, Brazilian coast. They do not seek out the beaches of Santa Catarina as Argentine and Uruguayan humans do. They are content with the coast of Rio Grande do Sul, providing a phenomenon.
A journey across the coast of Rio Grande do Sul
Starting from Chuí, on the border between Uruguay and Brazil, we continue to the jetties of the Port of Rio Grande, crossing the endless Cassino Beach and its diverse scenery. Along the 230 kilometers, the landscape changes. The shell banks, for example, are a strip of beach that comprises a gigantic, thick natural carpet of shells and fossils that have accumulated there since ancient times.
A few kilometers further north, a vast area of dunes stretches between the sea and the Mangueira lagoon. Vastness, it must be said, is an adjective that is very appropriate for this region. For the lagoon is so extensive that the impression after walking through the desert is that we have walked in a circle and returned to the sea.
O vento é outra marca dessa região.
Among these same dunes, moved back and forth by the wind, live small, shy, and skittish foxes called Graxains. In the distance, you can see them sneaking through the sparse thickets of a type of grass, but they quickly disappear, leaving only the trail of their tails among the footprints in the sand.
Back on the beach after a detour through the dunes, we continued until we reached the edge of Cassino Beach, already in Rio Grande. Once again, I understand why gauchos are superlative. At the mouth of Lagoa dos Patos, where fresh water meets the sea, we came across a colossal breakwater on both banks. These are called moles. They are four kilometers out to sea, made of rocks and concrete structures to protect the entrance and exit of ships in the Port of Rio Grande.
Even more impressive is to see that this human interference has favored the great annual migration of sea lions and seals, becoming one of the two refuges for these animals in Brazil. Curiously, the animals choose the same point on the breakwater to gather every year. On the left bank, on the other side of the channel, already in the municipality of São José do Norte.
The concrete structure molded into four rounded sides, called a “tetrapod,” seems to have been tailor-made to fit and accommodate the 400-kilogram bearded animals, lulling them to sleep and helping to dry their fur.
I spent days and even an entire night alongside these enormous, noisy creatures. During the early hours of the morning, their deep snoring and constant roaring created a peculiar symphony. The strong odor, a consequence of the high density of occupants in the place, made my nose run nonstop. But none of that diminished the privilege of being so close. Despite their impressive size and long canines, sea lions are incredibly cautious on land. Their clumsy locomotion makes them vulnerable, which explains their generally peaceful demeanor.
While they may not be very agile on land, these animals display all their agility, lightness, and confidence in the sea. They dive gracefully, gliding across the surface with the same grace and elegance as a bird. They spin in spirals, emerge with almost half their bodies out of the water, shake their manes, and even seem to play with each other.
With limited vision, lions rely heavily on their incredibly sensitive whiskers, which detect movement and objects around them. Their curiosity, poor eyesight, and confidence in the water meant that many of them approached me when I tried to photograph them in their natural environment.
They came so close that they hindered my movements. Sometimes, unable to see anything happening under the dense darkness of the water, I was surprised by a snout behind me, practically on my neck. It was an experience that was both fascinating and uncomfortable. But it was enough to understand that they would not harm me. I was a crazy intruder in their environment.
Heading further north in the state, in Torres, Ilha dos Lobos is the second annual refuge for sea lions. But there, getting close to them was not as easy as in Rio Grande. Huge waves form around the island. Photographing from the boat with a long lens was impossible. Sometimes the boat was high, sometimes it was low. An endless movement. Impossible to photograph. The solution was to get off the boat and try to swim to the island. The tip was to swim about 30 meters until the waves, which were at least 2 meters high, threw me onto the island. A stone slab covered with barnacles, sea urchins, and mussels. The stupidest idea I've ever heard, but there I went like a sea lion, but with the same dexterity they have on land.
The idea seemed terrible. And it was. Luckily, the thick rubber suit protected my arm, but my hands ended up with a few scrapes and a thorn or two.
With such a clumsy arrival, the lions quickly noticed my presence. It is worth remembering that they are not very agile out of the water, so they jumped into the sea on the other side of that small slab a few meters above the waterline.
The weather was starting to close in. At sea, the pilot, concerned about the approaching bad weather and our safety, signaled for us to return. An hour had passed and now we had to swim against the huge waves. The curious lions formed a long line behind the surf, where the sea was calmer, and watched me with incomprehension at my difficulty. Once I had passed the most difficult stretch, I continued swimming. The alpha male, with his enormous head, seemed unwilling to move out of my way, but I had no choice. There was no turning back now. I was halfway to the boat. With each stroke, I felt that we were challenging each other to see who would give up first. I kept going until he, less than two strokes away, dove underwater. This time the water was clear and I could see him pass under me, looking at me. Not to be outdone, he slapped my shoulders with his fin as he took off. It felt like a slap. I climbed aboard and didn't see him again. In the following days, the weather closed in and improvement was unpredictable. I never returned to Ilha dos Lobos.
FROM HUNTED TO PROTECTED
Seals, walruses, lions, elephants, and sea lions were once among the most hunted animals on the planet for their skins and blubber. It was an extremely lucrative trade that nearly drove these animals to extinction. Spreading out across colonies, hunters killed animals with clubs so as not to damage their skins and only left when there were no more alive. In some places, populations were wiped out, and global trade only declined when these mammals became difficult to find. Even today, some countries in the Northern Hemisphere and Japan continue to hunt seals. Fortunately, hunting has been banned in almost all countries where these species are found. Today, the biggest challenge for these animals is fishing nets and marine debris. Both cause high mortality rates among sea lions. This is yet another challenge that humanity must overcome in its evolution on this planet. For sea lions, with a learning capacity better than that of humans, I hope they quickly understand that nets dragged through the sea and filled with tons of fish are a vital danger and that they need to learn not to fall into the trap.
I hope to see them again soon!
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