Facts About Sea Lion

Sea lions are sleek, carnivorous animals. They can be found in all kinds of climate, both in northern and southern hemisphere. They inhabit all the oceans in the world, with the exception of Atlantic Ocean. Sea lions are one of the largest marine mammals that are equally capable on land as well as under water. They may be bulky and overweight, but they are exceptionally beautiful and attractive, because of their shape and color. These bulky creatures form an essential link in the food chain of our ecosystem as well. They love to live in coastal areas, where there is abundant food supply and land is close enough to take rest from swimming and hunting in water. Sea lions have 4 flippers, which they are able to turn around when on solid land, allowing them to walk easily. These beautiful, though less than graceful, creatures are fast disappearing from earth, making the conversationalist work overtime to find out the causes of their extinction. Let us learn a few more interesting facts and amazing information on these sea creatures.

Facts About Sea Lion

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Marine Mammal

Order: Carnivora

Family: Otariidae

Subfamily: Otariinae

Genus: Eumetopias

Species: E. jubatus

Group Name: Raft, Colony

Length: Males- 3m, females- 2.1m

Weight: Males- 907kg, females- 272kg

Lifespan: 18-30 years

Diet: Carnivorous, feeding on fish like herring, mackerel, pompano etc and squids

Habitat: Cold, sub-Arctic areas

Age of Sexual Maturity: Males - 3 yrs (starts mating at 8 yrs), Females - 4 yrs

Gestation Period: 12 months

Number of Offspring: One in a year

Interesting & Amazing Information On Sea Lions

Sea lions are considered to be pinnipeds, which means they have a winged foot. They are also classified as marine mammals.
A male sea lion is called a bull and a female sea lion is called cow, while their offspring are called pups.
A large group of sea lions is referred to as a colony. There may be thousands of them residing in these colonies, with several subgroups inside it. They love to live in close groups.
Sea lions might appear lazy, but they are not. They simply enjoy relaxing and basking in the sun.
A sea lion can swim at 25 miles per hour. Generally, they move at only 10 miles per hour, unless they feel threatened.
Stellar sea lion is the largest of the seven species of these creatures and New Zealand sea lion is the rarest of them all.
The male Stellar sea lions don’t eat during the breeding season. They care more about protecting their territory and make sure that their female doesn’t run away with another male.
They can dive up to 600 feet in water, for food. They can remain underwater for 40 minutes, by pinching their nostrils together instinctively, as they enter water.
You might have heard many stories about the crying of sea lions. Actually, they do have tear ducts, but only to help them remove the salt water from their eyes.
They have decent eyesight, but are believed to be nearsighted. There is also evidence to indicate that sea lions can see better in water, than they can on land.
Sea lions don’t need to drink water. They get all the required water from the food they eat.
They suffer from a lot of health problems that are associated with humans. These problems include pneumonia, epilepsy and different types of cancers. Research shows that the sea lion pups are immune to such problems till the time they are fed milk by their mother.
Female sea lions are pregnant when they come to shore for mating again. They become the part of a harem, with a male protecting them. Then, they give birth and mate again for the next season, within a couple of weeks.

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