4 Types of Sea Lions in California
4 types of sea lions have a verified observation record in California. The most frequently recorded are California Sea Lion, Steller Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.
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4 types of sea lions have a verified observation record in California. The most frequently recorded are California Sea Lion, Steller Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.
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Verified species, source iNaturalist
4 types of sea lions recorded in California
4 sea lions species have a verified observation record in California, each with at least 10 confirmed sightings. The full list, ranked by how often each is recorded, is below.
| # | Species | Scientific name | Verified records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Sea Lion | Zalophus californianus | 30,236 |
| 2 | Steller Sea Lion | Eumetopias jubatus | 717 |
| 3 | Northern Fur Seal | Callorhinus ursinus | 372 |
| 4 | Guadalupe Fur Seal | Arctocephalus townsendi | 118 |
Counts from verified iNaturalist observations.
The California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) is the most commonly recorded, with 30,236 verified observations — about 96% of all sea lions reported in California. If you spot a sea lion here, it is statistically most likely to be this one.