California Sea Lion
Zalophus californianus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnívors)
- FamilyOtariidae (Eared Seals)
- GenusZalophus (California, Galápagos, and Japanese Sea Lions)
- SpeciesZalophus californianus (California Sea Lion)
Closest Relatives at Olympic National Park
Northern Sea Lion
Eumetopias jubatus
Juan Fernandez Fur Seal
Arctocephalus philippii
Northern Fur Seal
Callorhinus ursinus
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
Northern River Otter
Lontra canadensis
Sea Otter
Enhydra lutris
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Northern Elephant Seal
Mirounga angustirostris
Mountain Lion
Puma concolor
Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
Coyote
Canis latrans
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a California Sea Lion in Olympic National Park?
About 19% of visitor-days record a California Sea Lion sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 169 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see California Sea Lion in Olympic National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for California Sea Lion in Olympic National Park in our monthly data.