Pinniped photos

A small harbor seal pup only a few hours old, resting on a sand beach in San Diego between episodes of nursing on its mother. Over 50 harbor seal pups were born in La Jolla during the 2023 birthing season.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39067  

Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39068  

Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39069  

A mother Pacific harbor seal nuzzles her pup, born only a few hours earlier. The pup must bond and imprint on its mother quickly, and the pair will constantly nuzzle and rub against one another in order to solidify that bond.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39070  

A newborn harbor seal pup, only a few minutes old, is nuzzled by its mother shortly after birth. Blood is still on the tiny pups fur coat. The pair will nuzzle frequently to solidify the bond they must maintain as the pup is nearly helpless. In just four to six weeks the pup will be weaned off its mothers milk and must forage for its own food.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39073  

Newborn harbor seal pup is protected by its mother from a seagull. The seagull most likely wants to feed on the placenta, but it may also peck at and injure the pup. The seal mother does a good job of keeping birds off its newborn pup. Within an hour of being born, this pup had learned to nurse and had entered the ocean for its first swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39075  

A newborn harbor seal pup in La Jolla, only a few minutes old, is nuzzled by its mother shortly after birth. Blood is still on the tiny pups fur coat. The pair will nuzzle frequently to solidify the bond they must maintain as the pup is nearly helpless. In just four to six weeks the pup will be weaned off its mothers milk and must forage for its own food.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39077  

Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Two Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39089  

Pacific Harbor Seal Mother and Pup Emerge from the Ocean, they will remain close for four to six weeks until the pup is weaned from its mother's milk.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39091  

A newborn harbor seal pup in the water at the oceans edge, born just moments before in the ocean and immediately able to swim ashore. The pups placenta and mother are seen in the background.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39101  

California sea lion bodysurfing in La Jolla, surfing huge waves close to shore at Boomer Beach.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39121  

California Sea Lions on Point La Jolla, San Diego, California.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36573  

California sea lions, La Jolla.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 34274  

Male elephant seal rears up on its foreflippers and bellows to intimidate other males and to survey its beach territory. Winter, Central California.
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
Image ID: 15521  

California sea lion, underwater at Santa Barbara Island. Santa Barbara Island, 38 miles off the coast of southern California, is part of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Channel Islands National Park. It is home to a large population of sea lions.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 23418  

California sea lion.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 00248  

Northern fur seal swims through the cold waters and kelp forest of San Miguel Island, in California's northern Channel Islands.
Species: Northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus
Location: San Miguel Island, California
Image ID: 00966  

California sea lions swim and socialize over a kelp-covered rocky reef, underwater at San Clemente Island in California's southern Channel Islands.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 02031  

California sea lions swim and socialize over a kelp-covered rocky reef, underwater at San Clemente Island in California's southern Channel Islands.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 02159  

California sea lions, Coronado Islands.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 02160  

Galapagos sea lion playing with puffer fish.
Species: Galapagos sea lion, Zalophus californianus wollebacki, Zalophus californianus wollebaeki
Location: Cousins, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 02252  

Guadalupe fur seal mother and pup.
Species: Guadalupe fur seal, Arctocephalus townsendi
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 02440  

California sea lion, Coronado Islands.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 02920  

California sea lions, socializing/resting, Webster Point rookery, Santa Barbara Island, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 06284  

California sea lion underwater.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 27423  

SCUBA Diver and Steller Sea Lions Underwater, underwater photographer, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Species: Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
Image ID: 36119  

SCUBA Diver and Steller Sea Lions Underwater, underwater photographer, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Species: Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
Location: Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: 36121  

SCUBA Diver and Steller Sea Lions Underwater, underwater photographer, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Species: Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
Image ID: 36122  

Steller sea lion underwater, Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Species: Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
Image ID: 36124  

SCUBA Diver and Steller Sea Lions Underwater, underwater photographer, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Species: Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
Location: Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: 36125