Patagonian sea lions aren’t native to Canada, but they’re an important native species in South America. You’d have a hard time missing a male sea lion – they can grow to almost 3 metres long and weigh up to 300 kg! These social carnivores hang out in large colonies on the beach, where they’ll stay until they head to the ocean when it’s time to grab a bite to eat. Fish, squid, and octopus are their favourite menu items! It’s important that these big pinnipeds (a fancy word for marine mammals that have two sets of flippers) have a safe place to eat, rest and raise their pups.
It’s a Sea Lion’s Life
A mama Patagonian sea lion carries her baby for ten months. About once a year, she will give birth to a single baby, called a pup. The pup enters the water for the first time at about four weeks and practices its swimming skills – which is something it will get very good at as it gets older! It takes a sea lion awhile to fully grow up. In fact, they don’t reach their adult size until they’re eight years old. If Patagonian sea lions want to communicate, they have a variety of calls and vocalizations (different ages and genders of sea lions make different calls). These sea lions are super!
How We’re Helping
Earth Rangers has teamed up with International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Argentinean researcher Patricia Gonzalez and her Fundación Inalafquen, and the Provincial Environmental Rangers on an important project that will help protect the important habitat at Bahía de San Antonio. This beach in South America is where the Patagonian sea lion will eat, rest, and have its babies, and it’s also an important stopover site for the red knot, an adorable shorebird with an epic migration that takes it from high in Canada’s north all the way to the sunny south every year. Unfortunately red knots are currently listed as Endangered in Canada, and some sea lion populations are decreasing. But why?
Bahía de San Antonio is becoming more and more developed, and increased traffic from holiday visitors and motorists is making it harder for the animals that rely on this important beach to find the good quality habitat that they need. By protecting the beach and reducing the impacts of human disturbance, we can make sure Patagonian sea lions continue to have a safe place to eat, rest, and raise their pups!
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They are soo cute
they are kind of weird.
I just adopted a sea lion and I named him Chocolate Chip! He is so soft!
i like them