My Experiences:
The sea lions steal the show at almost every beach landing. They are not at all afraid of humans. Their very expressive faces and loud "barks" are entertaining. The babies, of which there were many, are very curious and will often swim right up to you or walk up and lick your toes. Once, I was sitting on my towel taking a little nap after some intense snorkeling when a large pregnant female came and sat down right beside me -- the fish breath was horrible, but it was quite a thrill!

Facts:
There are about 50,000 sea lions in the islands, though that number may be drastically smaller when the next census is taken -- El Nino has wreaked havoc with their primary food sources and many of them have died recently. The largest adult male can weigh almost 250 kilos (550 pounds). They can live up to 20 years. The males are quite territorial and chase away any and all other males -- they've even been known to chase the occasional human out of the water. Gestation lasts around 9 months and females have one pup at a time.