The California sea lion is a large, boisterous and gregarious mammal that can become quite tame around humans. In recent years, hundreds have taken to hauling out on docks and boats in the USA. Adult males are about 2 to 2.5 m long and weigh about 400 kg; females are 1.6 to 1.8 m long and weigh about 94 kg (Wilson and Ruff 1999). Males are chocolate brown in colour and females are golden brown. They range along the west coast of North America and until about 1950, in Japan.

References

Reeves, R. R. B. S. Stewart, P. J. Clapham and J. A. Powell. 2002. Guide to marine mammals of the world. National Audubon Society, New York.

Wilson, D. and S. Ruff. 1999. Smithsonian book of North American mammals. UBC Press, Vancouver.