Age of sea lions can be determined by counting growth layers in their teeth like counting rings in a tree trunk.

Sea lions’ eyes glow at night like a cat’s eyes because of the membranes at the back of eyes, called tapetum lucidum which aid their night vision. However, sea lions cannot see things in colors as humans do.

Like insects and seals, sea lions undergo molting once a year, usually after their breeding season.

Sea lion moms can delay implantation up to 3 months before they come to shore for giving birth.

CA Sea Lions are most commonly seen in shows at zoos doing acrobatic tricks.

Just like humans, the top of a male’s head gets lighter with age.

The genus name, Zalophus, is derived from the Greek prefix “za” and “lophos” for “crest”, referring to the large sagittal crest on the skull of a mature male sea lion. 

Except for the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), seals have lion-like manes and constantly roar to defend their harems (hence their name).

Sometimes, sea lions are trained to detect, locate and mark mines in the ocean.

According to a group of scientists who did a research on California Sea Lions, human interactions influence reproductive success and growth rate; increased human presence was associated with lower reproductive rates, which translated into reduced long-term population growth; higher body growth rate in pups was observed with increased exposure to humans.