California Sea Lion
Zalophus californianus

Physical Description

• Small, streamlined marine mammals covered in brown fur with a “dog-like” face.
• They have large flippers that they use to “walk” on land.
• One of the easiest ways to tell sea lions and seals apart is that sea lions have visible ear flaps.
• Males are often chocolate brown, females a golden brown.
• Adult females grow to 220 pounds and 6 feet long.
• Adult males grow to 7-8 feet long and can weigh 850 pounds.
• At around five years old, males develop a bony bump on the top of their head, and the top of males’ heads gets lighter with age.

Range

• Nearshore waters from Vancouver Island, Canada to southern Baja California, Mexico.
• Also found in the Gulf of California, Mexico.

Habitat

• California sea lions often breed on offshore islands.
• They can be found closely packed together, often in the hundreds, on docks, piers, and favorite coves and beaches.
• They are often seen sunbathing at La Jolla Cove.

Reproduction

• Must pups are born in June or July.
• Pups weigh 13-20 pounds at birth.
• Pups nurse for 5-6 months at least, sometimes up to a year.
• Mothers and pups recognize each other on crowded rookeries by smell and vocalization.
• Breeding takes place a few weeks after birth.
• Males bark almost continuously during breeding season.

Diet

• Small fish, mackerel, rockfish, squid, octopus, herring, and small sharks.

Predators

• They are eaten by killer whales and great white sharks.

Interesting Facts

• California Sea Lions are very social, often living in groups of several hundred on land.
• California Sea Lions are known for their intelligence, playfulness, and noisy barking..
• Sea lions have been seen “surfing” the waves right next to humans..
• The trained “seals” at zoos and aquariums are often California sea lions, due to their intelligence..

Sources: Voices in the Sea; The Marine Mammal Center

Photo: Howard Hall

To hear a California Sea Lion’s bark and see videos of them swimming, visit Voices in the Sea, a collaboration between the Pacific Life Foundation and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.