Mammals · Carnivora · Otariidae

South American Sea Lion

Otaria flavescens

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The South American sea lion occupies the coasts of the Southern Cone, from Peru to Brazil around Cape Horn. The males, with a thick mane and an enormous neck, can weigh three times as much as the females and defend harems at the rookeries during the austral summer. It feeds on fish, squid and crustaceans, and in some areas it has learnt to make use of discards from the fishing fleet. Its highly concentrated breeding colonies make it sensitive to disturbance of the coast and to El Niño events.

Weight

100 kg – 350 kg

Size

1.8 m – 2.8 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanCarnivore Diurnal Colonial Ocean Mammal

9countries 13parks 6dive sites10same family

Fun facts

The sexual dimorphism is among the most marked of any pinniped: an adult bull can weigh 350 kilos and a cow barely 150.
At Península Valdés, in Argentina, killer whales deliberately strand themselves on the beach to take sea lion pups, a hunting technique practised by only a few killer whale families in the world.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Rocky and sandy coasts and inshore waters of the South American Pacific and Atlantic
Sexual maturity: 4 years
Gestation / incubation: 11.7 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaria_flavescens