The taxonomy of this group can be a little hard to parse, but Pinnipeds are divided into three distinct families. The family of Phocidae contains all of the true seals; they are sometimes called crawling seals or earless seals to distinguish them from other types of seals. The family of Otariidae contains 16 species of fur seals and the sea lions (a third family, called Odobenidae, is devoted exclusively to the tusked walruses). What confuses many people is that, despite their name, fur seals are anatomically and behaviorally closer to the sea lions than the true seals. Basically, fur seals and sea lions are distinguished from true seals by body shape and social behavior. But fur seals are further distinguished from sea lions by the presence of a thick layer of fur (not just hairless blubber) to protect them from the cold water. To clarify for this article, whenever the term “seal” is used, it generally refers to the true seals. The term “sea lion” may refer to both the sea lions and the fur seals as well.
Comparing Seals vs Sea Lions
Here’s a quick breakdown on the basic differences between the seal and the sea lion.
The 5 Key Differences between Seals and Sea Lions
While seals and sea lions can be very difficult to tell apart for the untrained eye, there are five important differences between them that should aid in identification. These differences mostly come down to body shape and social organization. Body size or color alone will not help you determine which one is which (one exception is the truly massive elephant seal, the largest of all Pinnipeds). Keep in mind that there’s enormous variation within families as well as between them. Some species may have certain adaptations that closely related species simply lack.
Seals vs Sea Lions: Adaptations for Land and Water
True seals are more adapted for aquatic life than life on land. Their more streamlined bodies enable them to cut swiftly through the water, while their hind flippers are angled backward to propel them forward. They move clumsily on land by crawling on their bellies and dragging themselves forward with their front flippers. Sea lions, by contrast, are generally better adapted for life on land, since their hind flippers rotate forward and function more like feet. Whereas the seals rely more on whole-body movements in the water, sea lions largely swim by rotating their hind flippers.
Seals vs Sea Lions: Ear Flaps
True seals have no visible ear flaps; instead, they have two holes in the sides of their heads. Ear holes enable seals to hear well in water and on land. This feature is especially crucial to their survival, for seals are the preferred meal of polar bears. If a seal can hear a polar bear up above, it may be able to escape the ferocious predator. Both sea lions and fur seals have small external flaps on their heads. The flaps turn downward to prevent water from entering their ears whilst swimming.
Seals vs Sea Lions: Size of the Flippers
Seals tend to have shorter flippers than sea lions. They also have short claws surrounded by hairless skin, whereas sea lions have long claws on their front flippers with tufts of fur.
Seals vs Sea Lions: Social Behavior
Sea lions are more likely to congregate together in large, boisterous colonies for the entire year. True seals, by contrast, prefer to live and hunt alone; they only tend to come ashore about once a year to mate.
Seals vs Sea Lions: Vocalizations
True seals make soft grunting sounds, sometimes emphasized by slapping the water, but otherwise, they’re pretty quiet. Since seals are solitary by nature, it makes sense that their vocalizations are minimal. Sea lions, on the other hand, make loud barking noises to communicate. When a colony is riled up, it can be a sheer cacophony of barking and grunting sounds. They are social creatures, and verbal communication is a form of socializing the sea lion uses regularly.
Seals vs Sea Lions: Survival Status
Beyond the 5 key differences between seals and sea lions, there’s one more we wanted to add to the list. Seal populations around the world are normal, with millions of them living in Antarctica alone. They are classified as animals of least concern by the IUCN. But sea lions are currently not quite as lucky. Due to threats from climate change, pollution, and hunting, three species of sea lions have been listed as endangered by the IUCN.
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The main difference is that the true seals are better adapted for a more solitary life of hunting and surviving for long periods of time out in the harsh sea. Its streamlined body is more ergonomic and lacks external ear flaps, and its hind flippers are unable to rotate around, which makes it clumsy on land. Which is more aggressive, a seal or a sea lion? It’s difficult to say which one is more aggressive because behavior can vary so much by species. Both seals and sea lions may become aggressive if they feel threatened or provoked in some manner. Since even the smallest Pinnipeds are the same size as a person, they should not be approached in the wild unless absolutely necessary. Do sea lions kill seals? Fatalities between seals and sea lions are normally quite rare. The Steller sea lion (the largest of all sea lions, weighing up to 2,200 pounds) has been known to kill and eat much smaller seals, but this is an exception rather than a rule. Given the similar size between a seal and a sea lion, one does not usually prey upon the other. Territorial disputes are a little more common, but even then, they very rarely result in death. One population usually just drives off the other.
