TIDE BITS: California Sea Lions

“I saw a seal!” Well, in the Gulf of California, you probably saw a sea lion. We don’t have seals in the Northern Gulf of California. While both are pinnipeds, sea lions are much bigger and better equipped for spending time on the land (they have external ears and hind legs for maneuver on land). Sea lions depend upon isolated rocky shores where they can haul out to rest and reproduce. The islands of the Gulf are perfect habitat, critical for this species survival. Male sea lions fiercely defend their stretch of beach against all rivals, maintaining a safe place for their mates to raise young.