But Why: What’s a seal? What’s a sea lion?
Published by But Why: May 2, 2025
What’s the difference between seals and sea lions? Do seals bark? Are they gray? Do harbor seals live in snowy regions? Why do sea lions eat fish? Why do sea lions fight each other?
Seals and sea lions are pinnipeds, fin-footed marine mammals, and we’re learning all about them today with a visit to The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, where marine biologist Adam Ratner answers all your pinniped questions!
Learn More About Seal & Sea Lion Behavior
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You’ll be giving sick and injured animals the best possible care at the Center’s state-of-the-art hospital. With your gift today, you are giving a patient a second chance at life in the wild.
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{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Humpback whale\/cropped-images\/a-humpback-whalesf-bay91526photo-by-norely-faz-c-the-marine-mammal-center-noaa-permit-26532-772-1-1270-992-1789760973.png","alt":"Humpback whale Rio","title":"Humpback Whale \"Rio\" Spotted in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/humpback-whale-rio-spotted-in-the-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta","label":"News Update","date":"2026-09-18 12:10:00"}
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Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/California sea lions\/2024\/d-california-sea-lionsin-treatment-for-domoic-acidsausalito72624photo-by-giancarlo-rulli-c-the-marine-mammal-center.jpg","alt":"California sea lions","title":"SF GATE: Sick, disoriented sea lions are washing up on California beaches","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/sf-gate-sick-disoriented-sea-lions-are-washing-up-on-california-beaches","label":"In the News","date":"2026-09-01 10:39:22"}
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