Whisper, a 20-year-old beluga whale at the Georgia Aquarium gave birth to a calf on Sunday, May 17. Sea lions do have external ear flaps – you can see it on the side of the head in both of the pictures below as well as other morphological similarities between sea lions: “Seals” is actually a generalized name for all pinnipeds. Eared Seals (Otariidae) Marine mammals spend all or the majority of their time in water, and thus are specially adapted to this way of life. • Sea lions have long and smooth whiskers, whereas those are … When in doubt, here’s an easy guide to tell California sea lions apart from harbor seals: Now that you know more about the difference between these two marine animals, find out which one you might be: GUESS WHAT? The northern fur seals at the Aquarium generally have a darker color to their fur than the sea lions. Seals and sea lions share adaptations for living in the sea—including blubber, flippers, and streamlined bodies. Monk seals, including the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal, are also categorized as true seals. Both types of seals, sea lions and walruses are all considered to be in the suborder Pinnipedia, which is usually translated as \"fin-footed\" or \"feather-footed.\" Pinnipeds (within the order Carnivora) consist of three families. // ]]>. Swim underwater by steering with hind flippers & powering with foreflippers like a bird. The seals are classified as earless pennipeds while the sea lions are classified as eared pennipeds. Unlimited Admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica, Meet our Beluga Whales in honor of National Whale Day, Generally more social, living in larger groups, Paddlelike hind flippers can be rotated forward to move across land more easily, Cannot rotate hind flippers under body, so instead they drag themselves across land, No visible earflaps, just a small pinhole openings behind the eyes for the ears. Reply Delete. Log in to access special offers or to update your account. Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit. //