A dolphin and a sea lion, two species usually on guard against each other, kissed their hostility away in a performance at the Beijing Aquarium.

Under the instruction of their trainers, a dolphin kisses a sea lion in the Beijing Aquarium in this photo published on Thursday, September 25, 2008. [Photo:jinghua.cn]

The performance, titled "Bill's Ocean Adventure," was conceived to amuse visitors during the upcoming National Day holiday, the Beijing Times reported on Thursday.

Among the performances of the sea mammals, the most eye-catching segment is the kiss between the dolphin and the sea lion, the report said.

Training the animals to do the routine was no easy task. At the beginning, the sea lion would flee back to his cage when he met the dolphin, who also fidgeted at the sight of the sea lion. But as the training advanced, they gradually got used to each other, Li Lei, their trainer, said.

This is probably the first time a dolphin has ever kissed a sea lion, Li added.

(CRI September 25, 2008)