“Suddenly, a strange noise startled me. As I turned toward the sound, my heart began to race. A large, chocolate-colored creature darted toward me at top speed. An instant before impact, the animal altered its course slightly, gliding just inches below my body. I was shocked, but the sea lion was thrilled. It was playing one of its favorite games—chicken.
My new playmate copied my every move. When I dove, it dove too. And when I turned, the sea lion followed me. Soon, I was out of breath, but the sea lion kept on going. It used its powerful front flippers like oars and steered with its smaller back flippers. As the graceful animal flowed effortlessly through the water, it spun in circles and twisted its agile body this way and that. When playtime was over, the sea lion swam to shore and flopped down on the beach."