On the Galapagos Islands, holiday makers are a common
sight and many of the animals that make the region their
home are accustomed to seeing people. One of the most
conspicuous and prevalent animals on the archipelago
is the Galapagos Sea Lion. They are also arguably the
most appealing of all the inhabitants; their cheeky
faces with a constant smile and their huge, black, liquid
eyes have entranced boatloads of visitors on Galapagos
Island tours for many years.
The Galapagos Sea Lions range in size from about 50kgs
up to 400kgs for a full grown male. Males are slightly
darker than the females – although it is hard to tell
when they are wet – and they have a distinctive bump
on their heads. The main characteristic which differentiates
the sea lions from their close relative, the seal, is
their external ear-like flaps. The sea lions are extremely
agile in the water; their front flippers control them
but their back flippers move independently, allowing
them easy passage on land as well as acting as a rudder
to help them turn quickly in the water.
Although they spend much of their time fishing and swimming,
the sea lions also love sunning themselves on the beach
and in tidal rock pools. They are homebodies at heart
and seldom venture further than about 15km from the
shore. They are very approachable and quite placid;
however care needs to be taken with the larger bulls.
In many locations you can swim freely amongst the sea
lions without causing a fuss. They may show some interest
but mainly just get on with their daily business, not
paying too much heed to their human companions enjoying
their Galapagos Islands holiday! A favourite game the
sea lions love to play is to swim towards you at great
speed, and then veer off at the last moment. Hold your
nerve and it can be a delightful experience.
The Galapagos Sea Lions live in colonies consisting
of about thirty females dominated by one bull, and the
remainder of the males live in bachelor colonies. There
is a constant war between the males as they vie to dominate
the breeding colony, often culminating in a bloody battle.
Sometimes however, the dominant bull becomes so weary
from his breeding duties and lack of food he simply
surrenders and slinks off to join the bachelors group,
conceding to the next young male!
One of the main drawcards that brings so many people
on their Galapagos Islands holiday to visit the sea
lion colonies is the inquisitive and endearing faces
of the pups. Female sea lions carry their pups for around
eleven months. After they are born it is about five
months before they learn to fish for themselves, but
the mothers continue to suckle them sometimes well beyond
twelve months. Due to the constant breeding cycle, this
can often mean that a mother is still suckling one pup
when she gives birth to her next.
Although numbers of the Galapagos Sea Lions are now
growing, they are still listed as vulnerable. In 1979
there were about 50,000 living on the islands, but years
of El Niño cycles and human interference saw numbers
dwindle to less than 16,000 in 2001. The main problems
have been the ‘long nets’ that fishermen use, which
entangle the sea lions, together with fish hooks and
outboard propellers - deadly temptations for inquisitive
juveniles.
Another danger for these beautiful creatures is unfortunately
human waste and refuse left by visitors on their Galapagos
Islands holiday. By raising awareness of these ecological
issues however, scientists monitoring numbers on the
islands, have reported a measure of marine condition
improvement, and the population now fluctuates between
30,000 - 50,000.
On the Galapagos Islands, holiday makers are a common
sight and many of the animals that make the region their
home are accustomed to seeing people One of the most
conspicuous and prevalent animals on the archipelago
is the Galapagos Sea Lion
About the Author
Louise Mumford is a holiday specialist at South American
Experience, a company that specialises in tailor-made
arrangements for a
Galapagos Islands Holiday . Our dedicated team has
two decades of first-hand experience in the Latin America
region.
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