Australian Sea Lion
Specialised ocean hunters
The playful Australian Sea Lion is a fascinating creature and one of the rarest in the world. Their entire population lives along the southern and western coastlines of the Great Southern Reef with about 85% living in South Australia and the other 15% in Western Australia, and they are the only endemic pinniped in all of Australia.
Agile in both the water and on land, the Australian sea lion uses their front flippers to prop themselves up and their back flippers to help them “walk” on land. In the water they use their flippers to propel themselves and their back flippers also work as a rudder to steer. Sea lions can hold their breath up to 12 minutes. They are referred to as benthic foragers meaning they feed from the sea floor on species like cuttlefish, octopus, small rays, sharks and rock lobster.
Due to over-hunting for their leather and oil during the 19th century, populations of Australian sea lions were decimated to a small fraction of what there once were. Because they have a long and complicated breeding cycle, high site fidelity of females and a high mortality rate, the Australian sea lions are a vulnerable species. Their largest threat is getting entangled in fishing gear and marine debris, but other threats include large sharks, being hit by boat propellers, pollution and overfishing which limits access to prey.
Proud parents
Australian sea lions live in “colonies” on a variety of remote islands and coastlines of southern and western Australia. The sea lion’s gestation period is unusual in the pinniped family as it can last around eighteen months and is not synchronised between each colony. During the breeding season the male sea lion (bull) will become aggressive and sometimes territorial guarding their females until they are ready to mate. Once the baby sea lion (pup) is born, the mother will only look after the new pup, possibly fighting off the previous season’s pup from trying to suckle from her. These sea lions also practice alloparental care, which means that they will adopt a pup if, for example, its parents die or if they become separated.
Fin footed
Seals and sea lions are marine mammals called pinnipeds (meaning fin footed). Sea lions can be distinguished from seals by the small flaps for outer ears. They are also louder than seals and will "walk" on land using their large flippers. You can recognize Australian Sea lions by their short blonde or ash grey fur, creamy coloured underbellies, short flippers and bulky body.
Fast Facts:
Species: Neophoca cinerea
Family: Otariidae (eared seal)
Order: Carnivora (carnivores)
Feeding: Benthic forager, hunts along the sea floor
Habitat: Colonies on remote islands and coastlines
Distribution: Endemic to GSR
Special Power: 12 minute breath hold
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