The Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki), the Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela (Albemarle), the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
Galápagos Sea Lion on bench in Puerto Villamil.
The Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is a species of sea lion that exclusively breeds on the Galápagos Islands and – in smaller numbers – on Isla de la Plata (Ecuador).
Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf.
Their loud bark, playful nature, and graceful agility in water make them the "welcoming party" of the islands.
They are the smallest sea lion species.
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How to distinguish a seal from a sea lion?
Seals and sea lions share many characteristics and that is why they are part of the same suborder, but there are many important traits that we can use to differentiate them. Here, they can learn who's who quickly and easily.
At first glance, certain species of sea lions look like seals, but there are some anatomical differences.
The easiest difference to detect are the ears: sea lions have a set of tiny ears, whereas seals do not have them, having only auditory cracks.
Locomotion is another point that differentiates the two animals. While seals use their posterior fins for swimming and move around on crawling land, sea lions use their pectoral fins to swim and also lean on them to walk on land.
There are five species of sea lions spread across the planet and, in general, the seals that shine as circus stars are actually sea lions of the species Zalophus californianus.
Another interesting curiosity is the percentage of fat in the seal's breast milk. There is even one species, the crested seal, whose percentage of fat in milk is so high that it allows the holding of a record in the animal world: it is the species that most quickly wean a young, and this can happen in just four days.
The Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki), the Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela (Albemarle), the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
Galápagos Sea Lion on bench in Puerto Villamil.
The Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is a species of sea lion that exclusively breeds on the Galápagos Islands and – in smaller numbers – on Isla de la Plata (Ecuador).
Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf.
Their loud bark, playful nature, and graceful agility in water make them the "welcoming party" of the islands.
They are the smallest sea lion species.
***
How to distinguish a seal from a sea lion?
Seals and sea lions share many characteristics and that is why they are part of the same suborder, but there are many important traits that we can use to differentiate them. Here, they can learn who's who quickly and easily.
At first glance, certain species of sea lions look like seals, but there are some anatomical differences.
The easiest difference to detect are the ears: sea lions have a set of tiny ears, whereas seals do not have them, having only auditory cracks.
Locomotion is another point that differentiates the two animals. While seals use their posterior fins for swimming and move around on crawling land, sea lions use their pectoral fins to swim and also lean on them to walk on land.
There are five species of sea lions spread across the planet and, in general, the seals that shine as circus stars are actually sea lions of the species Zalophus californianus.
Another interesting curiosity is the percentage of fat in the seal's breast milk. There is even one species, the crested seal, whose percentage of fat in milk is so high that it allows the holding of a record in the animal world: it is the species that most quickly wean a young, and this can happen in just four days.