Playing with Pinnipeds: The Sea Lions of Hornby Island

I first saw Jess Newley’s amazing underwater photographs of salmon about a year ago. As a photographer myself, I was impressed with the quality of the images and amazed at the window into the world of this iconic symbol of the northwest that the pictures provided.

Jess and her husband Chris are true adventurers – they are both divers, photographers and committed activists. Presently they are launching an environmental non-profit, Sea Front, to address the health of our planet’s oceans.

They made time in their busy schedule to share their experiences diving with sea lions off  Hornby Island (in the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia) in the summer issue of Adventures NW magazine. The story, “Playing with Pinnipeds” includes some of their compelling images captured beneath the surface of the Salish Sea, but space limitations meant that many of these beautiful images do not appear in the magazine. This gallery provides an opportunity to take a deeper look at the awe-inspiring world of Stellar Sea Lions.

Chris and Jess Newley have been documenting their adventures together ever since meeting in San Francisco six years ago. From traveling on a motorcycle through Southeast Asia, to living in Africa and falling in love with “the underworld” – they are now on a path towards education and conservation of the marine environment.