The Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki), Mosquera Islet, the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.

            With a population size of about 50,000, the Galapagos Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus, subspecies: wollebacki) is one of the first animals that visitors to the Galapagos Islands encounter. They can often be found sprawled on the docks or benches where tourists board their cruise boats, and are found lounging on beaches or low rocky shorelines throughout the islands. Their playful and inquisitive behavior makes them a tourist favorite, and lucky divers or snorkelers may be treated to underwater gymnastic displays from these graceful creatures. Despite their curiosity, sea lions are wild animals and can be unpredictable in their behavior – especially the males – and people will occasionally be bitten for not respecting their space and privacy.

Sea Lions are the largest animals found in Galapagos – full-grown males (bulls) can weigh up to 550 pounds. Besides their larger size, males differ from females in that they have a large “bump” on their foreheads and have extremely thick necks that provide protection.

Sea Lions mainly eat fish that they catch out in ocean on extended foraging trips. When on land, they congregate in harems (a group of females with one dominant male bull) or in bachelor colonies (males without harems to defend). However, females are free to move from harem to harem, as it is the territory where the females lie that a dominant bull defends, more so than the actual females in the territory. A dominant bull will spend the majority of his day patrolling the shallow coastal waters along his territory, ensuring that other bulls do not come near. It is exhausting to defend a harem, and for this reason, defense of a harem generally only lasts for a few days up to three months for a single bull. Fights between bulls for territories are quite common, with pushing, neck-biting, and dramatic water chase scenes ensuing. Harems are usually found in the most desirable beach locations, and the bachelor colonies are located in less desirable places, sometimes high atop rocky cliffs or farther inland near lagoons.

Once a year, females give birth to single pups, which they rear for one to three years. For this reason, it is common to see one mother with two suckling pups of different ages. Mothers will stay with their newborn pups for about 5 days, as they get to know each other’s sounds and smells, and then she will venture out to fish and replenish her energy. Baby sea lions will gather in shallow water nurseries that are watched over by one female, while the other mothers go out fishing. Bulls will even join in defending the nurseries from sharks, who may come looking for a defenseless pup meal. At about five months old, young sea lions will begin to learn to fish on their own.

Females are sexually mature at around 5 years old, and can live to be about 20 years old – males mature a bit more quickly, but will not guard a harem until they are older, and they do not live as long as females.

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Taken in: Ecuador / Provincia de Galápagos / Santa Rosa / Seymour (show map)

Taken on: December 22, 2019

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Sets appears in: • Mosquera Islet, the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.

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