• Question: What are the main differences between Seals and Sea lions??

    Asked by bentdave to Paddy on 22 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Paddy Brock

      Paddy Brock answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      Great question. The main difference is the ears. Although seals (which are called phocids) can hear they don’t have ears that stick out of their heads, whereas sea lions (which are called otarids) do. The other main difference is that seals propel themselves in the water with their back flippers while steering with their front flippers but sea lions do it the other way around. Seals have much less developed flippers and limbs than sea lions, so look a lot more like blobs.

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