What do sea lions eat?
Sea lions feed on a variety of organisms including various fish (anchovies, herring, salmon, rockfish, and hake), squid and octopus. Sea lions at Dolphin Research Center eat herring, smelt, and capelin. Wild sea lions often feed cooperatively, eating 5 – 8% of their body weight each day, which is between 15 – 35 pounds (7 – 16 kg) of food. Sea lions have 34 to 38 teeth, specially designed for grasping and tearing their food; however, their food is swallowed whole. Most of their water intake comes directly from the fish they eat, although they may occasionally drink small amounts of seawater while fasting throughout the breeding season. Rocks, sometimes found in the stomachs of sea lions, may create a false sensation of fullness during the fasting period. Do sea lions have good senses? Hearing: Sea lions hear both above and below the water’s surface, although they hear better under water. Studies show sea lions can hear frequencies up to 70,000 Hz, but tend to vocalize within a range of
