EndangeredGalapagos Sea Lion
Zalophus wollebaeki
One of the 7 fur seals on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Otariidae
Arctocephalus galapagoensis
At very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.
The Galápagos fur seal is the smallest otariid in the world and one of the few that lives in the tropics. It is endemic to the Ecuadorian archipelago, where it occupies rocky coasts with caves and overhangs that give it shade: its dense fur, adapted to cold water, leaves it very vulnerable to overheating. It feeds on squid and fish that it hunts at night, when the deep scattering layer rises. El Niño events, which warm the water and crash productivity, cause mass die-offs.
Weight
27 kg – 68 kg
Size
1.2 m – 1.6 m
Life expectancy
22 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctocephalus_galapagoensis
The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Galapagos Fur Seal — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The galapagos fur seal is classified as endangered. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 7 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about galapagos fur seal.
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