a sea lion is a large seal. Another seal that many people think of is the leopard seal. How cool is that? In and around Redwood National and State Parks, the most commonly seen eared seal is the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). Very occasionally, they have been known to prey on northern fur seals, harbor seals and sea otterpups. And it took this article to get me on track. See more ideas about Otters, Animals beautiful, Cute animals. Seals vs. sea lions is a difficult topic to grasp, but this article aims to clearly illuminate the difference between these two aquatic beasts. Pinnipeds are classified under three families, eared seals, true seals and walruses. 1 decade ago. Mike Baird. Because Sea Otters spend so much time in cold waters, they have a very dense layer of fur as opposed to a thick blubber layer like whales, sea lions and seals. When comparing a sea lion vs. seal you can spot the difference a few ways, one of which is the lack or presence of an ear. Sea otters and seals are in many ways different, but are also similar. Colonies are found on Drum and Drumsticks as well as Steamers Headland. Seals are quieter, vocalizing via soft grunts. Steller Sea Lion vs Leopard Seal ~ Guest. Sea otters rest by wrapping themselves in kelp to keep from drifting away. We’ve probably always wondered what the difference is exactly between a seal and a sea lion, and it doesn’t help that the latter doesn’t have a mane around its neck to help with distinguishing the two in the Galapagos.Both animals do share one common characteristic: they are both pinnipeds, which means they both have fin-like feet along with a couple of other similar morphological traits. Southern sea otter California sea lion Robert Schwemmer . At the same time, their hind flippers angle backward and don't rotate. Fur seals and sea lions are also known as eared seals. ( Log Out /  Main Difference – Seal vs Sea Lion. Pinnipeds, also known as fin-footed mammals are often generalized as seals. they are lovable, yet they could get spikey. On the other hand, otters only eat fish rarely, and they mainly thrive upon invertebrates. Most have sharp claws on their feet, and all except the sea otter have long, muscular tails. Anonymous. Fur seals are placed here in a separate chapter. Exactly how fast can seals and sea lions swim? ALEX - Echidna (did you recognize a tender echidna is termed a 'puggle'? Guest. Sea Lion and Seal are marine pinnipedian mammals with very close affinities and easy to confuse. Confusion often arises over the classification of the fur seal. NO layer of blubber. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Helped more than you know. Pups stay with their mothers for about six months. Sea Lion Seal. Sea lions and fur seals (members of the eared seal family) have visible ear flaps, while true seals only have ear holes. Both otters and seals also differ in many physical characteristics. Agile swimmers, they can “porpoise," or leap high out of water. Although they feed in the sea, they surface for air. wiggle onto land with stomach blubber. Firstly, seals and sea lions have completely different ears. Seals, fur seals, sea lions and sea otters all belong to the same order Carnivora under the class Mammalia. Meanwhile, in Singapore, a family of otters has a nemesis in the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. To keep their thick fur waterproof, they spend hours grooming. Students find out by comparing sea otter and seal characteristics using a Venn diagram. Diving an average depth of 1,800 feet (600 meters), they feed on fishes and squid. This makes them fast in … Sea otters are smaller than seals and sea lions, have stubby front paws and rest by floating on their back. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Sea-lions can also be seen on the way out to Bremer Canyon, where Orcas area also prevelant. Here are some tips to help you tell them apart. You can see them close to shore almost any time of year! Characteristics. They want to know why other sea lions have been showing up malnourished and very underweight. Otters are known to mate in the sea and give birth in the sea. Sea lions are brown, bark loudly, “walk" on land using their large flippers and have visible ear flaps. sea lion = a seal. short front flippers long, pointed nose (think balancing a ball at the circus) rounded faces with short curly whiskers Quiet and shy, harbor seals can be seen year-round resting on rocks just offshore. All three are cute-faced, chubby marine mammals that we imagine swirling gracefully through kelp beds and lazily basking in the sun. Often curious, harbor seals will watch people walking along the shore or follow divers or kayakers in the water. Northern elephant seal Harbor seal . NOAA's national marine sanctuary offices and visitor centers are closed to the public while the waters remain open for responsible use in accordance with CDC guidance and local regulations. But seals and sea lions … They hunt offshore for fishes and squid. visible earflaps. But don’t … Fast nocturnal predators, they hunt for a variety of fish, octopus and squid. California sea lions breed south of here, mainly on offshore islands from Santa Barbara to Mexico. They can grow to over 1.5m (5 feet), and can weigh a healthy 36kg (80 pounds). Swim underwater by steering with hind flippers & powering with foreflippers like a bird. Seals vs Sea Lions Both seals and sea lions, together with the walrus, are pinnipeds, which means “fin-footed” in Latin. They are mammals, which means that they have live young, produce milk, have hair (or fur) on their bodies, and breathe air. So how do we tell them apart? Students will be able to: • Identify the body parts and behaviors of a sea otter. Sea Lion vs Seal . Seals and sea lions are both mammals. On one of our whale eco cruises or dolphin watch tours, you may be lucky enough to spot the local seals on your journey. Rotate their hind flippers under their bodies, enabling them to walk or even run on land. Can you tell which is which? Monk seals, including the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal, are also categorized as true seals. They have long flippers and earflaps. earholes. The population of sea lions has increased greatly since 1972, when hunting of marine mammals was banned in the United States. ( Log Out /  ( Log Out /  Seals were tagged as earless since they do not have ear flaps. Unlike the otters, seals tend to spend a bit more time on land. The Mundo Marino Foundation has recruited sea lions as their newest members. Females give birth soon after they arrive on beaches and nurse their pups for about a month. In winter huge males with large elephant-like noses and long canine teeth engage in bloody battles to establish territories and harems of females. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Two of the more common marine mammals on the west coast of North America are sea lions and seals. Third, sea lions are noisy. It can also be seen that seals love fish which is one of their favorite foods. But after a thorough inspection, you may know the difference between sea lion vs seal.However, the differences are not very notable, but a good comparison between sea lion vs seal will show you the apparent differences. ( Log Out /  sometimes you just gotta ditch the phone and enjoy the view, Explore the Fishing Village of Morro Bay on the California Coast - guide2travel.ca, On a related note, here's a great story from @, Everything is terrible except for this email I received today from a 14-year-old @. They also have an ability to walk on every type of floor. Seals and sea lions share adaptations for living in the sea—including blubber, flippers, and streamlined bodies. long front flippers. Gray seals clock in at about 14-23 mph. seal, sea lion, or sea otter: how can you tell? use tools, which they store in armpit flaps, wrap themselves in kelp beds while sleeping, Pingback: Explore the Fishing Village of Morro Bay on the California Coast - guide2travel.ca, I’ve swam and kuyaked Morro Bay all of my life. What is the difference between sea lions & seals? Seals have stouter bodies without the same long "necks" as se lions, and their fins aren't suited for walking around on land the way sea lions are. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Australian fur seal lives and breeds in our area. To conclude, the article provides a comparison of the seal, sea lion, walrus, and otter with their qualities and the differences they hold from each other. Change ). 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