Sea Lions

Species
Sea Lions

Species
Sea Lions

Sea Lions

Top
Facts
Why They Matter
Threats
What WWF is Doing
How You Can Help

Facts

Status
Endangered
Scientific Name
Zalophus wollebaeki
Weight
around 400 pounds
Length
6 feet long
Habitats
Oceans

Sea lions haul out in large colonies on rocks and sandy shores on the Islands. They move into the water to feed and cool off as needed.

Places
The Galápagos
Habitats
Ocean Habitat

Browse Photos & Videos

A sea lion pup that's ready to play

A photograph experiences a chance encounter with a sea lion in Baja California, Mexico.

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Sea lion with feather playing in fish school

Why They Matter

The sea lion is the most common mammal in the Galápagos.

Threats

Extinction Risk Endangered
1. EX
  Extinct
  
  No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died
2. EW
  Extinct in the Wild
  
  Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population
3. CR
  Critically Endangered
  
  Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the Wild
4. EN
  Endangered
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
5. VU
  Vulnerable
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
6. NT
  Near Threatened
  
  Likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future
7. LC
  Least Concern
  
  Does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened

Introduced species, such as dogs, carry diseases that can spread to sea lions. They are vulnerable to the effects of climate change on ocean currents, which impacts their fish prey abundance. They are also victims of bycatch in fisheries.

What WWF Is Doing

Sea lions often rest aboard fishing boats, sometimes causing the boats to sink. Fishermen try to prevent them from coming aboard by putting up barbwire as a barrier, but this causes severe injuries to the sea lions. WWF helped support a project on San Cristóbal Island that built and installed two floating bases for sea lions to rest on and a “primary care nursery” for sea lions and other species. Environmental education and communication awareness sessions were offered about the importance of sea lions and the problems with their interaction with the local community. Currently, sea lions are using the floating bases more often and we expect less sea lion injuries and fewer troubles for the boat owners on the island.