Sea lions can dive up to 900 feet and hold their breath for up to twenty minutes. Seal vs Sea Lion: Is A Seal A Sea Lion? Seals and sea lions are different species, but they are both members of the Otariidae family. What is actually taking place is that they have tear ducts to help remove the salt water from their eyes. Sea Lion Information, Anatomy, Feeding, Reproduction, EvolutionSocial Structure and Sea Lion Conservation. One common behavior—called “rafting”—can make a sea lion look like it’s caught in a net. Fishermen try to prevent them from coming aboard by putting up barbwire as a barrier, but this causes severe injuries to the sea lions. A sea lion may raise a flipper out of the water to regulate its body temperature. There are more than 30 species and they live all over the world. The largest portion of their oxygen supply on a deep dive is distributed to the heart and the central nervous system. Because sea lions are mammals and must breathe air, they can’t stay underwater forever! It is the largest member of the eared seals. Scientists have noticed that males tend to live shorter lives than females. There are many stories out there about seeing Sea Lions crying. The New Zealand Sea Lion is the rarest of the species. Sea lions often rest aboard fishing boats, sometimes causing the boats to sink. California sea lions have always frequented the San Francisco Bay, especially during the winter months when herring spawn in the bay. The majority of them live in the sub Arctic areas where it extremely cold. Sea Lion Habitat and Distribution. Males are about 3.3 metres in length and weigh 1,000 kg, while females measure about 2.5 metres and weigh less than 300 kg. This is why people tend to think that there are so many of them out there. 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 … What do sea lions eat? Others prefer to live in the warmer waters of the tropics. Their bodies have a high tolerance for carbon dioxide; during deep dives, less oxygen goes to non-vital organs. Interaction With Other Species. How long do sea lions live? Age is determined by counting growth layers in their teeth, similar to counting rings in a tree trunk. The Stellar Sea Lion is the largest of the 7 species. Thankfully, rescuers came and got her, rehabilitated her, and then set her back into the ocean to meet up with her family. Sea lions often "porpoise"; that is, they leap out of the water while swimming and re-enter headfirst. Fishermen try to prevent them from coming aboard by putting up barbwire as a barrier, but this causes severe injuries to the sea lions. All Sea Lions are considered to be mammals as they give live birth to their young and the female sea lions nurse their pups with milk they produce in their bodies, just like female humans. The northern, or Steller, sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) is a pale- to golden-brown sea lion of the Bering Sea and both sides of the North Pacific Ocean.