Photographer Octavio Aburto captures an image of a playful sea lion during an expedition to the coastal forests of the Galapagos Island led by the Charles Darwin Foundation. (Octavio Aburto / CDF / CATERS NEWS)

Around 180,000 tourists visit the Galapagos Islands every year, many traveling to view the islands' . But few have had a glimpse of the marine life that thrive under the water in the Galapagos, specifically in the islands' coastal mangrove forests.

Photographer Octavio Aburto traveled on an expedition to these secretive waters with the , and managed to get spectacular, close-up shots of the animals in their natural habitats, providing a new perspective of life in the archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.

From adorable sea lions playing with the underwater vegetation and sea turtles gliding through the water and even a shark making a surprising appearance, Aburto has revealed picturesque scenes that few get to see.

"These forests are incredible since they are very small and isolated, and some of them are in pristine conditions," Aburto, who is also an assistant professor of marine ecology, said. "Being inside the secret, hidden lagoons was like being in another world—calm, historic and very natural. We were surprised with the presence of sea lions and sea turtles inside these forests."

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But the visitors may not have been the only ones experiencing some firsts on this expedition. Aburto believes it may have also been the first time the animals have seen humans

"We are alien in their environment and every passing animal looked at us curiously, intrigued by our long fins, mask and snorkel," he said. "Every time I turned around, more animals seemed to appear."

The photographer from San Diego, California, even had an amusing interaction with one of the Galagapos magnificent creatures, as he was capturing the underwater landscape, which featured roots of red mangroves rising up to the water's surface.

"Suddenly one of the sea lions jumped out of the water and landed on a mangrove trunk—from there it then submerged its head and stared at me with intrigue, as if it was teasing me to take a picture of it," Aburto said. "Diving down and approaching with only my camera lens visible, the curious little sea lion ended up so close his whiskers touched my camera."

Impressed with the stunning scenery, Aburto has one wish for the animals he encountered during the expedition: "I hope that the Galapagos National Park will protect all these coastal lagoons, in order to maintain these habitats and the species within them for the joy of future generations."

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