Least Concern· population increasing· assessed 2015

California sea lion

Zalophus californianus

Sighting evidence at Los Islotes Sea Lions, Sea of Cortez

California sea lions are among the most cognitively complex marine mammals and their playful behavior with divers at Los Islotes is genuinely spontaneous rather than conditioned. The colony at Los Islotes is one of the few remaining rookeries in the southern Gulf and pup survival rates are used as an indicator of prey availability in the surrounding waters. Male sea lions establish and vigorously defend territories on the surface rocks during the breeding season; underwater encounters are almost always with juveniles and females.

Evidence at this site

No confirmed records on file at this site

California sea lion is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

California sea lion

Evidence at this site

Also seen at other sites