Australian Sea Lion
Neophoca cinerea
South American Sea Lion
Otaria flavescens
About
The South American sea lion is a big, noisy animal of rocky and sandy shores, where bull males with thick manes guard beaches full of females and pups. Males can reach 260 cm long and weigh up to 350 kg, dwarfing the females.
- Length
- 2.6 m
- Weight
- max 350 kg
How to tell it apart
Its size and the male's thick mane can suggest a fur seal, but true fur seals have a much denser, finer coat over a smaller body. The short, upturned snout on the male's large head is the clearest mark of this species.
Appearance
Males and females look very different. Males have a large head, a short upturned snout, and a long mane reaching the shoulders, with dark brown fur. Females are smaller, with a plainer head and yellowish fur. Pups are born black and turn reddish brown after their first moult.
Habitat
It lives along the coasts and offshore islands of South America, from Peru around Cape Horn to southern Brazil. It hauls out on sand, gravel, rocky, or pebble beaches, and can also be seen on flat rocky cliffs with tidepools, sometimes venturing into deep water or even rivers near glaciers.
Behaviour
Bull males arrive first each breeding season to claim territory, then defend groups of females once they arrive, herding and guarding them from rivals. Males without a territory sometimes raid a harem, causing chaos and occasionally seizing a female or a pup. Sea lions hunt fish, squid, and other prey, and are themselves hunted by orcas and sharks.
Did you know?
At Peninsula Valdes, orcas hunt this sea lion by beaching themselves on the shore to grab animals near the water's edge.
Log it in Into the Blue
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