Sea Lions have a wide distribution out there in the world. But with the help of nostrils that seal up automatically when they dive, a sea lion typically remain submerged for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Scientists have noticed that males tend to live shorter lives than females. Sea lions often "porpoise"; that is, they leap out of the water while swimming and re-enter headfirst. A sea lion may raise a flipper out of the water to regulate its body temperature. Others prefer to live in the warmer waters of the tropics. Seals and sea lions are different species, but they are both members of the Otariidae family. Fishermen try to prevent them from coming aboard by putting up barbwire as a barrier, but this causes severe injuries to the sea lions. Seal vs Sea Lion: Is A Seal A Sea Lion? Interaction With Other Species. All Sea Lions are considered to be mammals as they give live birth to their young and the female sea lions nurse their pups with milk they produce in their bodies, just like female humans. A rafting sea lion holds its flippers above the water for a long time, motionless, to rest and regulate its body temperature. Their bodies have a high tolerance for carbon dioxide; during deep dives, less oxygen goes to non-vital organs. They are sometimes seen "porpoising," or jumping out of the water, presumably to speed up their swimming. The average life span of a sea lion is around 20 years, although some have been recorded to live into their 30s. It is the largest member of the eared seals. Because sea lions are mammals and must breathe air, they can’t stay underwater forever! Sea lions have also been seen "surfing" breaking waves. The Stellar Sea Lion is the largest of the 7 species. How long do sea lions live? What do sea lions eat? California sea lions have always frequented the San Francisco Bay, especially during the winter months when herring spawn in the bay. One common behavior—called “rafting”—can make a sea lion look like it’s caught in a net. Together with the fur seals, they constitute the Otariidae family, collectively known as eared seals. Males sea lions generally live alone and form harems during the breeding season that may last for several months. Thankfully, rescuers came and got her, rehabilitated her, and then set her back into the ocean to meet up with her family. The largest portion of their oxygen supply on a deep dive is distributed to the heart and the central nervous system. Sea Lion Habitat and Distribution. The New Zealand Sea Lion is the rarest of the species. There are many stories out there about seeing Sea Lions crying. This is why people tend to think that there are so many of them out there. WWF helped support a project on San Cristóbal Island that built and installed two floating bases for sea lions to rest on and a “primary care nursery” for sea lions … There are more than 30 species and they live all over the world. Sea lions are marine mammals and members of the suborder Pinnipedia (which in Latin means ‘fin-footed’ or ‘winged foot’). Sea lions often rest aboard fishing boats, sometimes causing the boats to sink. Fishermen try to prevent them from coming aboard by putting up barbwire as a barrier, but this causes severe injuries to the sea lions. The northern, or Steller, sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) is a pale- to golden-brown sea lion of the Bering Sea and both sides of the North Pacific Ocean.