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Otaria flavescens
Spotted these male sea lions on a small island in the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia, Argentina. Males have a very large head with a well-developed mane, making them the most lionesque of the eared seals. They are twice the weight of females.
Small island in the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia, Argentina.
Mating occurs between August and December, and the pups are born between December and February. Males arrive first to establish and defend territories, but then switch to defending females when they arrive.[6] A male aggressively herds females in his territory and defends both from neighbors and intruders.On rocky beaches, males establish territories where females go to cool off and keep them until estrus. On cobble or sandy beaches, males have territories near the surf and monopolize females trying to get access to the sea. The number of actual fights between males depends on the number of females in heat. The earlier a male arrives at the site, the longer his tenure will be and the more copulations he will achieve. Males are usually able to keep around three females in their harems, but some have as many as 18. Wikipedia
Spotted on Jan 21, 2015
Submitted on Feb 7, 2015
5 Comments
Thank you Desmond.E.S.O--it was amazing to see the back flipper detail and dexterity.
Thank you venusflytrap2000!
In the third photo you start to notice that they really do have fingers.
Definitely!
nice series, misako!