One of the coolest things about actually getting your feet wet and setting out into the open water — be it on a boat, a kayak, or even a canoe — is the remote chance that you might get to interact with some of the amazing sea life that's out there.
Maybe you'll see a school of fish swim by or a dolphin jump out of the water in the distance. Or maybe you'll just see a bird swoop down for a quick snack. Any of those could be a fun moment in your day.
What you wouldn't usually expect, however, is the sea life interacting with you on an up close and personal basis. But that's exactly what one family from Orange County, CA got when they decided to visit Santa Barbara for a Valentine's Day vacation.
Rodney and Lisa Gist thought it might be fun to spend this past Valentine's Day kayaking in Santa Barbara with their three children. It's not only a beautiful, relaxing thing to do, but it's also a nice way to get in a little family bonding time.
Once they were out on the water, however, a hitchhiker decided to come along for the ride: a baby sea lion!
As you can see in the below video, as Rodney Gist and two of his children are paddling around in the water, there's a sea lion pup sitting right on the back of their kayak. The family is clearly in awe, and you can even hear the spectators gasping with delight as the pup starts nuzzling and kissing Rodney on the back of his head and neck.
Luckily for the family, Joey Buttitta was on dry land with his camera and captured the footage so that they could relive the moment for the rest of their lives.
According to the video description, the sea lion stayed on their kayak for a good half-hour as they circled around the water a few times.
Experiencing such a beautiful moment must have been a huge thrill for the Gist family.
As it says in the video description, "it's a holiday they will never forget."
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