Sea lion or seal?
How to tell them apart
A sea lion has visible ear flaps and can walk on all four flippers. The true seals are the earless seals.
Quick answers
They differ on 1 of the 8 quick answers: awake when.
| Question | Sea lion | Seal |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | Yes | Yes |
| Dangerous? | Can be | Can be |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? differs | Daytime | Day & night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? | In places | In places |
At a glance
| Question | Sea lion | Seal |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | Oceans | Oceans, Arctic, Antarctic |
| Habitat differs | Coast, Open ocean | Coast, Open ocean, Polar |
| Size | Large | Large |
| Length differs | Up to 2.4 m (California sea lion) | 1 m (Baikal seal) to 5 m (southern elephant seal) |
| Weight differs | Up to 390 kg (California sea lion) | 45 kg (Baikal seal) to 3,200 kg (southern elephant seal) |
| Legs | None | None |
| Covered in | Fur | Fur |
| Lives | In colonies | In colonies |
| Lives for differs | 20–30 years | 25–30 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Sea lion
Eared seals with external ear flaps, long front flippers and the ability to walk on all fours. There are six living species, found from subarctic to tropical waters in both hemispheres.
Everything on the sea lion page
Seal
Flippered marine mammals: the true seals, the sea lions and fur seals, and the walrus, 34 species in all. They eat at sea but come ashore to breed and rest.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.