Kiss a Sea Lion
Whiskers fill your peripheral vision, a wet nose reaches your cheek and the photograph happens before you have time to decide whether to laugh or flinch. Some managed sea-lion encounters use a trained nose-touch as the playful version of a “kiss”, bringing you close enough to notice the animal's breath, alert eyes and astonishing control on land. Sea lions are intelligent wild mammals, not props. Modern animal-visitor guidance says any direct contact must protect the animal's welfare, use appropriate positive training and let the individual choose whether to participate. Wild sea lions should never be approached, touched, fed or encouraged into contact; they can bite, transmit disease and need space to rest, breed and nurse pups. Only consider an encounter at an independently accredited zoo, aquarium or rescue facility with transparent welfare standards. Ask whether contact is necessary, whether the animal can leave and what conservation or education the programme supports. Follow the keeper, never attempt a mouth-to-mouth kiss and accept a close observation instead if direct contact is not appropriate. Add this to your list with one condition: the sea lion gets the final say.