Food

The sea lion is a carnivorous mammal. It eats salmon, anchovies, hake, jacks, mackerel, octopus and squid. The weight of the male is four times that of the female. and the size of the male is one and a half times that of the female.

Breeding

Sea lions reach sexual maturity at about five years of age. The breeding period is from May to July. At this time, sea lions congregate by the thousands on the coast. The male first takes possession of a territory. Then he attracts the largest number of females. Then he prevents the females from leaving. This policing exhausts him because he doesn't feed during this time. The males then mate with several females. They remain territorial, guarding their harem. The gestation period lasts eleven months. Between May and June, the births take place. The newborns have a thick black down that disappears when they molt. Females have one calf per year. They stay with their newborn for a week. Then they go out to look for food. For nearly six months the females accompany their juveniles. After breeding, the males migrate to British Columbia and the Aleutian Islands.

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