California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), illustration

Protected Zalophus californianus

California sea lion in Los Cabos

The sea lions on the rocks at Land's End greet every boat leaving the marina. They're smart, fast and protected, and they'll happily steal a fish off your line.

~320 kgAdult male

~110 kgAdult female

20–30 yearsLifespan

13Breeding colonies in the Gulf

When to see them

Jan●●Feb●●Mar●●Apr●●May●Jun●Jul●Aug●Sep●Oct●Nov●Dec●

●● best months · ● regular · · occasional. Based on scientific studies and local reports; it changes year to year.

Tap a month to see everything biting in Cabo that month ›

How to recognize it

Sleek and brown, with small external ear flaps and long front flippers. Adult males are much bigger and darker, with a bump on the forehead (the sagittal crest) often topped with lighter fur; females and young are smaller and tan.

Biology

California sea lions eat squid, anchovies, mackerel, sardines and rockfish, and can dive deeper than 270 m. In the Gulf of California there are 13 breeding colonies; the southernmost is Los Islotes, near La Paz, where pups are born from late May to July, with a peak in mid-June.

The rocks south of the Arch, known locally as La Lobera, are a resting place (a haul-out), not a breeding colony. Females in the Gulf tend to stay close to the colony where they were born, and the Gulf holds three genetically distinct groups.

Things you probably didn't know

Flippers up isn't a wave

Sea lions floating with a flipper in the air are warming up or cooling down, not waving or in trouble.

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They walk, seals crawl

Sea lions can turn their back flippers forward and walk on all fours; true seals have to wriggle on their bellies.

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Three species, not one

Sea lions from California, the Galápagos and Japan were once considered one species. Genetics split them; the California and Galápagos lineages separated about 2.3 million years ago.

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Poisoned by an algal bloom

In 1998 more than 400 sea lions died in central California from domoic acid, a toxin from algae that reached them through the anchovies they ate.

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Early births in the Gulf

Sea lions in the Gulf of California give birth earlier and over a longer season than those in California.

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A stable but uneven population

Gulf of California sea lions have been stable over the long term, with ups and downs tied to sea temperature, while some colonies have declined and Los Islotes has grown.

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Photos

California sea lion, photo 1 (Los Cabos, MX-BS) — iNaturalist contributor · iNaturalist · CC0

California sea lion, photo 2 (La Paz, MX-BS) — Ewout Knoester · iNaturalist · CC BY-SA 4.0

California sea lion, photo 3 (La Paz, MX-BS) — Martín Sánchez Vilchis · iNaturalist · CC BY-SA 4.0

California sea lion, photo 4 (La Paz, Basse-Californie du Sud) — iNaturalist contributor · iNaturalist · CC0

California sea lion, photo 5 (La Paz, MX-BS) — iNaturalist contributor · iNaturalist · CC0

California sea lion, photo 6 (Cabo Pulmo, BCS) — iNaturalist contributor · iNaturalist · CC0

Seeing them from the boat

You'll see them on the rocks at Land's End on the way out of the marina, any time of year. At sea, sea lions sometimes follow boats and take fish off the line.

If one shows interest: never feed it or throw scraps overboard, move to another spot, don't cast when it's close, and release fish quietly away from it. Feeding teaches sea lions to approach boats, which leads to injuries for them and for people.

Rules & conservation

Mexico (NOM-059)	Subject to special protection (Pr)
General Wildlife Law, art. 60 bis	No marine mammal may be captured or taken
Feeding	Harmful to the animals; never feed sea lions