Galapagos Sea Lions – A Little Disagreement
Not only are sea lions social, they are also quite vocal. Adult males often bark in long, loud and distinctive repeated sequences. Females and juveniles do not produce this repetitive bark, but the younger pups will growl. A little growling going on here …
Galapagos Sea Lions – Motherly Love
The static and social interaction between mother-offspring pairs is a central social unit in most mammalian groups, as well as these sea lions. The cow will nurture a pup for up to three years. In that time, the cow and the pup will recognize each other’s bark from the rest of the colony.
Galapagos Sea Lions – Feeding Pose
The Galapagos sea lion mothers will take the young pups with them into the water while nursing until around the 11th month, when the pups are weaned from their mother’s milk and become dependent on their own hunting skill.
Galapagos Sea Lion Against a Natural Backdrop
The wind and rain washed cliff with its interesting designs makes a great backdrop for this Galapagos sea lion
Galapagos Sea Lion Basking
Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. Their loud bark, playful nature, and graceful agility in water make them the “welcoming party” of the islands.
Galapagos Sea Lion – Looking Up
Momentarily distracted from its sleep by humans, this sea lion lifts its head to check out what is going on
Galapagos Sea Lion – Mostly Sleeping
Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos sea lions range from 150 to 250 cm (59 to 98 in) in length and weigh between 50 to 250 kg (110 to 550 lb.), with the males averaging larger than females. Most of the sea lions we encountered during the day seemed to be sleeping.