GALAPAGOS SEA LION 2

In the first photo you will see a baby sealion and learn about their vulnerability. The second image shows a close-up of a sea-lion's flipper, so you learn about sealion locomotion. If you missed them, be sure to look at the photos of sealions underwater and a sealion yawning!

Baby sealions (properly called "pups") invariably receive accolades of praise for being so cute, but they are highly vulnerable for the first year or so of life. Even before they enter the water, potential prey for sharks, many of them starve or are abandoned by their mothers (note her rear flippers to the right of the picture).

The sealion's flipper is the basis of its propulsion system. The dark surface of the flipper is comprised of skin that feels much like the pad of a dog's or cat's paw. The back flippers (shown here) are used as a rudder whereas the front flippers provide propulsion power. This photo was taken on San Cristobal Island.