California sea lion

California sea lions live in a super long watery playground! Imagine a slide that goes from the very top of Alaska all the way down to the middle of Mexico. That's where they swim and play! They love to hang out on sandy beaches and rocky shores, but sometimes they even visit places where boats are parked, like marinas. They are like the ocean's friendly neighbors, always around the coast.

These amazing animals are super picky eaters, but they love yummy seafood! Their favorite snacks are different kinds of fish and squid. They are very good at catching their food in the ocean. But watch out! Bigger ocean animals like orcas (killer whales) and great white sharks sometimes try to catch the sea lions. It's a big ocean with lots of friends and a few bigger neighbors!

California sea lions are incredibly smart! They can learn to do all sorts of tricks, which is why you might see them at aquariums doing amazing things. They are also very noisy! They communicate with lots of barks, just like dogs, and special calls to find their babies. When it's time to rest or grow new fur, they come out of the water onto the land.

Mommy sea lions are very busy! They swim out to find food for themselves and their babies, called pups. When they come back, they give their pups milk to drink. The daddy sea lions are much bigger than the mommies and have a special bony bump on their heads. They like to find a spot and try to get lots of mommies to stay with them.