Sea Lion Pup Plays with Starfish on Sandy Bottom

Sunlight falls through the water, illuminating a sea lion pup resting on a sandy ocean floor beside a steep volcanic drop-off. The pup grips a vibrant orange starfish with its flippers, the creature's texture soft against the smooth sand. Fine plankton particles drift in the bright afternoon light, creating a hazy veil that softens the background rock face. The water clarity reveals individual grains of sand shifting under the pup's weight. Ripples distort the light pattern on the volcanic stone wall. The starfish tentacles curl slightly as the pup nudges it. A faint shadow stretches across the sand where the pup's flipper presses down.