Still having trouble telling them apart? Check out their behavior. If you look closely, you’ll also be able to see the different in their claws: seals have long claws and fur on their front flippers, while sea lions’ front flippers have short claws and are covered in skin. Sea lions, on the other hand, have elongated front flippers that help propel them through the water and allow them to “walk” on land. Seals have short, stubby front feet and generally scoot along land on their bellies. True seals have ear holes, where sea lions have small flaps covering their ears. The easiest way to tell them apart is to look at the ears. Although the term “seal” can technically apply to the 32 species we refer to as seals and as sea lions, the family Otariidae includes fur seals and sea lions, where family Phocidae includes “true” seals. You can find pinnipeds all over the world, from walruses in the chilly Arctic to Hawaiian monk seals in the balmy Pacific.īut here is where the differences begin to arise. All pinnipeds have broad torsos and narrow hips that help them remain streamlined underwater. Seals and sea lions are both in the suborder pinnipedia, a group of fin-footed mammals that also includes walruses. But can you tell seals and sea lions apart? They’re two of the ocean’s most recognizable-and adorable-residents.
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