Dereila Nature Inn - Mammals Wildzone

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Seals and Sea Lions belong to an order of marine mammals called Pinnipedia. Pinniped means “fin- or wing-footed.”

These fascinating creatures of the sea all have four flippers. They also need land where they can rest and bear their young.

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The order Pinniedpia is divided into two main families. One is called Phocidae and includes the Harbour Seal, Phoca vitulina.

The Phocidae family is also call the Earless, Hair or True Seals. Actually these seals do have ears, but no external ear flaps.

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Another characteristic of this family of seals is their short,
fur-covered flippers.

When on land, these seals have to wriggle to move because their hind flippers cannot turn forward so they could walk.

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A second family of Pinnipedia is called Otariidae which is also called Eared Seals and includes Fur Seals and Sea Lions like these California Sea Lions, Zalophus californianus.

Members of this family have external ear flaps which are shut during swimming. They also have large, hairless flippers. They can turn their back flippers forward and walk on land.

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Much larger than the California Sea Lion is the Steller Sea Lion, Eumetopias jubatus, also called the Northern Sea Lion.

There are seven species of Sea Lions in the world and the Steller Sea Lion is the largest of them all. Males can be as long as 11 feet/ 3.3 m and weigh 2,500 lbs/1134 kg!

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When groups of Sea Lions are on land, they are called a colony. When they are together at sea they are called a raft. During breeding season (May-June) a group is called a rookery. and a group of females in one dominate male's territory is called a harem.

Steller Sea Lions are found along the coasts of the Northern Pacific: Canada, Russia, Japan and parts of the United States. They feed on squid, octopus and fish. They have a life span of 18-30 years. Their only natural predators are sharks and killer whales.

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