California Sea Lionカリフォルニアアシカ

Zalophus californianusLC— Least Concern

The California sea lion is a highly social, intelligent pinniped found along the Pacific coast of North America from southeastern Alaska to central Mexico. An agile swimmer, it feeds mainly on fish and squid and is famous for its trainability, which has made it a familiar performer at marine parks and a working partner in U.S. Navy detection programs. With a large and stable population, the IUCN classifies it as Least Concern, though it remains vulnerable to fishery conflicts, pollution, and marine heatwaves.

California Sea Lion (reference photo)
Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification
Carnivora / Otariidae Source
Size
Males about 2.5–2.7 m, females about 2.1 m
Weight
Males about 350 kg (record 660 kg), females about 100 kg
Lifespan
Wild: about 15–20 years; captive: about 25–30 years (record over 31 years)
Diet
Piscivore Feeds mainly on fish and squid such as salmonids, hake, Pacific whiting, anchovies, herring, and California market squid, and sometimes on bivalves
Activity
Active at sea day and night, spending most of its time in the water outside the breeding season; hauling out onto land is more common at night and during cooler periods
Distribution
The California sea lion ranges along the Pacific coast of North America from southeastern Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of California. Source
Sources
ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org www.fisheries.noaa.gov

Did You Know?

  • In 2011, a California sea lion named Ronan was documented bobbing her head in time with musical rhythms — a behavior previously observed only in humans and vocal-mimicking birds such as parrots. Source
  • The U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program trains California sea lions to detect naval mines and enemy divers, including attaching a clamp to a diver's leg within seconds. Source
  • During the 2015 California pup crisis, roughly 1,450 malnourished or sick pups were found along the coast, attributed to warm Pacific waters reducing the availability of anchovies and sardines. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 24

How to tell Sea Lions, Seals, Fur Seals, and Walruses apart →

Toba AquariumMieOpened in 1955

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Osaka Aquarium KaiyukanOsakaOpened in 1990

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Ishikawa DoubutsuenIshikawaAbout 60 minutes from the Kanazawa-Morimoto Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, about 40 minutes from the Kanazawa-Nishi Interchange, and about 20 minutes from the Komatsu Interchange.

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Oga Suizokukan GaoAkitaOpened in 2004

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Shimane Aquarium AQUASShimaneAbout 12 minutes on foot from JR Hashi Station (2 hours 23 minutes from JR Matsue Station to JR Hashi Station; 1 hour 24 minutes from JR Masuda Station).

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Aqua World Ibaraki Prefecture Oarai AquariumIbarakiAddress: 8252-3 Isohama-cho, Oarai-machi, Higashiibaraki-gun, Ibaraki Prefecture.

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Adventure WorldWakayamaOpened in 1978

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Awashima Marine ParkShizuokaOpened in 1963

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Sunshine AquariumTokyoFrom Ikebukuro Station (Exit 35), walk along Sunshine 60 Street.

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NOTOJIMA AQUARIUMIshikawaThe nearest station is Wakura-Onsen Station.

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MARINE WORLD uminonakamichiFukuokaFrom JR Hakata Station, take the Kagoshima Main Line 11 minutes to Kashii Station, transfer to the JR Kashii Line (bound for Saitozaki), and ride 20 minutes to Uminonakamichi Station.

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Shimoda AquariumShizuokaOpened in 1967

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Gamagoorishitakeshima SuizokukanAichiOpened in 1956

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Kamogawa Sea WorldChibaAbout 2 hours from Tokyo Station on the Wakashio limited express to JR Awa-Kamogawa Station, then about 10 minutes by free shuttle bus (departing from the West Exit bus stop).

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Miyajima Public AquariumHiroshimaOpened in 2011

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Noichi Zoological Park of Kochi PrefectureKochiA 20-minute walk or 13-minute rental-bicycle ride from Noichi Station on the Tosa Kuroshio Railway Gomen-Nahari Line.

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Hirakawa ZooKagoshimaAbout a 20-minute walk from Goino Station on the JR Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line, or take a bus bound for Taniyama / Dobutsuen from Fukuhira Nokyo-mae to the last stop.

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Kinosaki Marine WorldHyogoAbout 10 minutes by Zentan Bus from JR Kinosaki-Onsen Station; get off at the Hiyoriyama (Marine World) bus stop.

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Kobe Suma Sea WorldHyogoOpened in 2024

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Chiba Zoological ParkChibaOpened in 1985

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Tennoji ZooOsakaOpened in 1915

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Ueno ZooTokyoOpened in 1882

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Hamamatsu Zoological GardensShizuokaOpened in 1950

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Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

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Former facilities

Keikyuuaburatsubomarin ParkKanagawaOpened in 1968

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Closed: 2021-09-30 Official Site

Latest news

6

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Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Least Concern (LC)

Sources

www.fisheries.noaa.gov en.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

How big do California sea lions get?
Males are considerably larger than females, reaching about 2.5 to 2.7 m in length and around 350 kg (with a maximum recorded weight of 660 kg), while females average about 2.1 m and 100 kg. Source
Are California sea lions endangered?
No. The IUCN lists them as Least Concern, with the U.S. population estimated at roughly 238,000 to 241,000 animals, though they still face threats from fishery conflicts, pollutants, and periodic mass strandings during warm-water events. Source
Why are California sea lions used by the U.S. Navy?
Their trainability, diving ability, and underwater hearing make them effective at tasks like locating naval mines and detecting enemy divers, roles they perform in the Navy's Marine Mammal Program. Source
How many operating facilities are registered here?
Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 24 Source

Books & gear

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org www.iucnredlist.org