November 21, 2012
The Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki), featured in today’s photo of the day, is found in the Galapagos Archipelago. With a streamlined body and powerful fins, these beautiful creatures are well adapted to their semi-aquatic lifestyle.
Did you know? Sea lions find their way around and locate food with the help of their sensitive whiskers. Each long whisker, called a vibrissa, attaches to the sea lion’s upper lip and helps the animal “feel” their surrounding environment.
These beautiful sea lions have been considered a subspecies by many scientific authors and are listed as endangered on the IUCN RED List of Threatened Species.
Photo: © Walter Perez
(Photo taken on a Lindblad Expedition — Fernandina Island, Punta Espinoza, Galapagos.)