"The sea lions are like the local dogs," she said. "They just hang out. You could step over them and they wouldn't move."
The 13-year-old recently returned from the Islands, which are part of the republic of Ecuador, where she photographed sea lions and swam with them.
Dile's passion for photography earned her the chance to travel to the islands with 15 other students as part of the first-ever National Geographic Kids Expedition Team.
More than 2,500 children from across the country entered the National Geographic Kids contest by submitting a photograph and an essay. Dile was the only Oklahoman chosen.
She traveled to the islands May 13-22 with her father, Steve Dile.
Dile said she enjoyed capturing the lifestyle of the islands' people through pictures.
She said she took hundreds of pictures during the trip but her favorite photo was the one she took of three children peeking out of a door.
"I think it has a lot of feeling to it," she said. "Even though they have it tough they don't worry. They're really happy."
Dile said she enjoyed meeting those who live on the island. She said the children were really friendly and loved looking at the photos on her digital camera.
"The language barrier was no big deal to them," she said. "They would talk to you in Spanish even though they knew you didn't understand."
Dile said she learned a lot about environmental conservation and got tips from a professional photographer. She also had the opportunity to photograph other animals, including iguanas and penguins.
"There's a lot of feeling in photography," Dile said. "The pictures you take need to reflect something special to you."
