Are sea lions endangered? The Australian sea lion, the Galapagos sea lion, and the New Zealand sea lion are all classed as “endangered” by the IUCN, while the Steller sea lion is “near threatened,” and the South American and Californian sea lions are both listed as “least concern.”
Sea lions are part of the pinniped group that also includes seals and walruses, which is why sea lions and seals are often confused for the same species. However, an easy way to distinguish between the two is to observe how they stand and move on land: sea lions have long flippers that they can stand on, while seals’ flippers can barely reach the ground.
Sea lions are predators. They consume large amounts of fish and help to regulate prey species populations. They are also prey, however, and serve as an important food source for large animals like great white sharks, hammerhead sharks, blue sharks, and killer whales.