Sea lions are usually friendly towards humans, even if you encounter them in the wild. They won’t attack if unprovoked and might even be playful to be around. However, it appears this is all just an act so they could make humans feel comfortable and then steal their things.
Back in 2021, scuba diver Michael Aery shared an entertaining video on his Facebook that shows a sea lion trying to steal his watch. The clip recently started gaining exposure and was picked up by Carters News, causing it to go viral.
In the video, Aery gets approached by a friendly sea lion during one scuba diving session at Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia. Thinking the sea mammal wants to play a bit, he starts petting it. But soon enough, the sea lion shows that he isn’t interested in getting affectionate but wants to grab Aery’s watch instead. He makes several attempts to steal it, resulting in an amusing game between the diver and the sea creature.
In a chat with Carters News, Aery revealed that this kind of behavior is nothing new for sea lions. He never got robbed by them but knew a lot of people that did.
“Being very curious animals, they will often grab at anything a diver has on them, “he shared. “Usually they pull on a diver’s fins but will also go for limbs, air hoses, and anything shiny like a dive computer or camera. “
So next time you find yourself around sea lions, keep an eye on your belongings, because if you don’t, they might be gone before you even realize it.
