Sea Lions

Californian Sea Lion (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus)

• CLASS: Mammalia
• ORDER: Pinnipedia
• FAMILY: Otariidae
• SUBFAMILY: Otariinae
• GENUS: Zalophus
• SPECIES: californianus
• LENGTH: Males: 2.2m, Females: 1.8m, Pups: 75 cm
• WEIGHT: Males: 275 kg, Females: 91kg, Pups: 5-6 kg
• DIET: Little is known about the feeding habits of the California sea lion. An opportunistic feeder for several fish species, such as anchovy, whiting, herring and squid.
• APPEARANCE: The coat is dark greyish brown to black. The males have small manes and an enlarged sagittal crest.

Californian Sea Lions are one of the most familiar of the Pinnipeds due to its popularity as a trained seal. Californian Sea Lions are particularly easy to train and possess a lively nature.

The Californian Sea Lion has been divided into three subspecies due to their different geographical ranges. The Californian Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus californianus) is the sea lion of the Pacific Coast of North America from Vancouver Island to Tres Marias Islands off Mexico, with breeding colonies on many small offshore islands of California and the Sonoran Coast of Mexico. There are approximately 75,000 sea lions found off the coast of North America and the population is flourishing.

Zalophus californianus wollebaeki is the sea lion found on the Galapagos Islands. There appears to be few physical differences between the Galapagos Sea Lions and those found off the coast of California. They are found on all the Galapagos Islands and breed on most of them as well. The population in the Galapagos is stable and estimated at about 40,000 individuals.

Zalophus californianus japonicus was the sea lion commonly found on islands in the Sea of Japan at the beginning of this century. There have been no sightings of these sea lions in recent times, however it may be possible, though doubtful, that there are specimens still in existence on remote islands in the Sea of Japan.

Pups are born from May onwards, with a peak in births during June. Mating occurs two weeks after individuals give birth.

Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea)

• CLASS: Mammalia
• ORDER: Pinnipedia
• FAMILY: Otariidae
• SUBFAMILY: Otariidae
• GENUS: Neophoca
• SPECIES: Cnerea
• LENGTH: Males: 2m - 2.5m Females: 1.7m - 2m
• WEIGHT: Males: 180 - 350kg Females: 80 - 105kg
• DIET: Fish, Little Penguins, Squid, Crayfish, Octopus
• APPEARANCE: Often shows greater colour variation than most Otariids. Females are silver-grey to fawn on the back and generally pale yellow or creamy underneath. Males are born with dark brown fur. After the moult they resemble the female in colour for the first two years. As the male ages it becomes darker and develops white to yellowish guard hairs from the top of the head to the shoulders. Males are large and stocky. Varies from dark grey-brown to black. Females are often lighter in colour than males. Mature males possess a high bony crest on the forehead.

Australian Sea Lions are of similar size to the Californian Sea Lions. They are found off the South and south-west coasts of Australia. Before commercial sealing, Australian Sea Lions could be found as far east as Bass Strait, however this is not the case today.

The breeding colonies are inhabited from October onwards, with a peak in births of pups in late November and December. The Australian Sea Lion has a unique breeding cycle with an eighteen month gestation period (mating to birth). Most other seals have an annual cycle, apart from the Walrus whose gestation period is fifteen months.

As the male Australian Sea Lion matures it becomes darker and develops white to yellowish guard hairs on the top of the head and down the neck to the shoulders. It is for this reason that these sea lions are often referred to as 'Australian White-Capped Sea Lions'. The total population is said to be about 10,000, with possibly two thirds of the population located in Western Australia. Australian Sea Lions are protected in Australian and while quite small, the population is stable.