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Curious. Playful. Goofy. Intelligent.
These adjectives describe California sea
lions. They are gregarious and eager-to-please—
the golden retrievers of the marine world. If you’ve
been near Pinniped Point, you’ve probably heard
them bark.

As their name implies, California sea lions
live along the west coast of North America,
between British Columbia and Baja California.
Pinniped Point is the home of our gray seals and
California sea lions. Last September we welcomed
Pinniped’s newest sea lion residents, Carolyn and
Sabiena (Sa-BEAN-ah). They received the celebri-
ty treatment from the media when they flew in
from California, courtesy of FedEx. Their arrival
provided a happy ending to a sad story about two
young sea lions found starving and injured on
Southern California beaches.

But the account of Carolyn and Sabiena’s jour-
ney doesn’t end here. “They have a story to share
about what’s happening in their habitat,” said Rita
Stacey, curator of marine mammals at the Chicago
Zoological Society. For scientists, California sea
lions and other marine mammals are ecosystem
sentinels that warn us of impending danger—in
this case, alarming changes in their ocean habitat.
These changes, which were caused by human
activities, have already occurred. However, said
Stacey, the actions we take today can greatly
reduce their impact going forward.

California sea lions Sabiena and Carolyn enjoy an icy treat at
Pinniped Point. Pinnipeds are a group of marine mammals that have
front and rear flippers. They include seals, sea lions, and walruses.

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