Introduction
Intertidal Life
Sea Turtles
Land Iguanas
Marine Iguanas
Sea Lions
Fur Seals
Birds
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West Coast visitors to the Galápagos find a familiar face
on the shores of these exotic islands -- the bewhiskered, friendly
one of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus).
The local variety is an endemic subspecies (wollebacki),
indicating a recent arrival in the archipelago, probably during
one of the "glacial interval" periods of the last two
million years, when the ocean currents were cooler. The Galápagos
sea lion is significantly lighter in weight than his mainland
antecedent, the males by 100 pounds, the females by about half
that. Still, a full grown male can exceed 500 pounds, and when
in a territorial mode can appear quite fearsome to a snorkeler
or swimmer.
About 50,000 sea lions are found in the archipelago, usually on
sandy beaches or gentle shores, in social and breeding colonies
of up to several hundred individuals. A bull male usually defends
these colonies, though they are not properly "harems"
since the females are free to wander to another bull's territory.
Younger males without a territory congegate in "bachelor
colonies," often in less desirable areas of the coast. Visitors
to South Plaza island can see one of these bachelor colonies (often
on the first day of a cruise) on the north shore. Here the sea
lions haul themselves up a fairly steep rocky cliff to bask in
the open area of the island.
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