Seals vs. Sea lions

CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE?

Whether it's a seal or a sea lion, these animals are fun, boisterous marine mammals that have captured the love and affection of people all around the world! Both are pinnipeds, which is a term to describe semi-aquatic mammals. Pinniped means, “fin-footed” in Latin. So even though the animals are similar, they have some large differences! The question is, can you spot them? Here are 5 different ways that will help you tell the difference between seals and sea lions?

1. The Ears 

One of the easiest ways to tell the difference between the two is by their ears. Sea lions will have a small flap on the outer side of their ears, while seals only have an earhole with no flap. Some seals look like they have no ears at all, like the harp seal! 

2. Flippers 

Another way to tell is to look at their front flippers. Seals have fur-covered long claws, while sea lions have skin covered short claws. Seals tend to have very small front flippers in comparison. They usually look stubby with webbed flippers, while sea lions have large elongated fore flippers. 

3. Hind Flippers

Seals and sea lions have very different back flippers. Seals' hind flippers point outward and away from their body. This means that the flippers cannot rotate under their body, which makes the seal's movement much different from the sea lion's. A seal has to move and scoot on its belly. A sea lion can rotate flippers under its body. This means they can use their flippers to walk on land. 

4. Sound

Another great way to tell is not in appearance but sound! A sea lion is very noisy. They bark loudly and make a lot of noise. Seals have much quieter soft grunts when they make a vocalization. 

5. Socialization

Seals tend to be much less social than sea lions. What that means is that seals spend most of their time in the water (compared to sea lions) and often lead solitary lives. They tend to only gather in groups once a year when they are mating. A group of seals is called a herd.

Seal Facts:

• Seals can sleep underwater!

• They have whiskers (called vibrissae) that help them detect prey 

• Seals have a thick layer of fat under their skin that keeps them warm in cold water - it's called blubber!

Sea lion Facts:

• You can tell the lifespan of a Sea Lion by counting layers in its teeth - very similarly to rings in a tree trunk.

• Sea lions live all over the world, except for the Northern Atlantic - the reason why is still a mystery, even to scientists!

• A Sea lion can swim 25 miles an hour by gliding on the surface of the water