Mountain Diver Presents: Pacific Sea Lions x Composer Chad Fischer

I shot this video off of Anacapa Island, one of the Channel Islands off of the Southern California Coast (directly off of Oxnard). I was free diving with the sea lions this day - and they were especially playful. There had recently been a tropical storm - so the visibility is a bit limited.
I have spent a lot of time free diving with Sea Lions - and these Pacific sea lions behave completely differently than their siblings in the Sea of Cortez. The main difference is the Pacific sea lions never physically touch you - where the sea lions on the Sea o Cortez are super affectionate to humans and the juveniles cuddle with you. But be careful for bites!
I have become quite fond of Sea Lions. Of all ages and sizes. The tiny pups are curious but cautious. And redefine "cute". Juveniles are more aggressive with their curiosity - and love to blow bubbles at you to see if you scare off. And when you don't, they come back to play. The adults - or as I affectionately call them "the moms" - are curious - but keep their distance at first. after an half hour or so, they warm up and become more inclusive than playful. Adult males - the bulls - are massive. the size of small cars. They always race out to check out the boat and bark orders. And then circle me a few times while underwater. They have yet to assess me as a threat. But boy are they intimidating looking underwater. Graceful and strong.
Music by: Chad Fischer
Composition: Grand Canyon
Album: Nation Parks (An Instrumental Album)
The music is from renowned composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Chad Fischer. Chad is amazingly prolific - with TV shows like Scrubs and Scandal - and movies like Ice Age and Garden State, to name a few.
Just before the pandemic, Chad released an album of instrumentals inspired by our National Parks. It is a remarkable body of work -- and we look forward to bringing some of these compositions and themes to life with the "Mountain Diver Presents" series. Here, Chad's composition 'Grand Canyon' compliments the sea lions as they explore their environment and fly-by this odd looking mammal (human, me) filming them.
National Parks (An Instrumental Album)
open.spotify.c...
"Mountain Diver Presents" is a partnership between vegan natural world explorer Jono Hart - and Musicians whose compositions have been inspired by the natural world.