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August is here, and in the Galapagos, the wildlife never stops. This is evident in the year-round sightings of Galapagos sea lions throughout the archipelago, which are undoubtedly one of the most picturesque and popular species among locals and visitors alike. The clear winner for cutest animal in the Galapagos, though, has to be the Galapagos sea lion pup. This adorable little creature will win your heart and take up a significant portion of your Galapagos photo album with its tiny, fuzzy body, big, innocent eyes, and playful personality. Before boarding the enchanted Yacht La Pinta, read on to learn more about this magnificent mammal during the mating season. And try not to melt when you find one (though, we cannot guarantee that you won’t).
Puppies remain dependent on their mothers for the entire first year of their lives.
Puppies and moms
Join Yacht La Pinta to enjoy the one-of-a-kind sea lion pupping season!
Ahead of your Galapagos excursion, get ready!
The sea lion mother will nurse her pup for the first week after it is born, before leaving it on the beach and allowing it to venture into the sea to seek nourishment. Even if they appear quite similar, different animal species have various ways of identifying their offspring. For example, blue-footed boobies construct a border around their nest so that the parents can identify one another. Mother sea lions have a distinct bark that the young can recognize. Pups often return the favor until they find their mother and any other siblings. However, the mother will only feed it once the baby has scented it and confirmed it is hers. Puppies remain dependent on their mothers for the entire first year of their lives.
Pupping Season for Galapagos Sea Lions Begins During Dry Season
Many species find it ideal to mate and eat the abundance of accessible food during the dry season when the streams are flooded with life and nutrients thanks to cooler currents and cleaner air. Overindulgence in food produces robust puppies and more productive lactation. Even though sea lion pups are born all year long, the driest months of the year—August, September, and even October—see increased sea lion activity.
Avoid petting it!
Though they are incredibly adorable, Galapagos sea lion pups should not be handled roughly; do not stroke or caress them. Besides being against the Galapagos National Park policy, touching a sea lion pup is not good for the pup and its connection to its mother. When a sea lion cub comes into contact with a human, its mother recognizes the scent and rejects the pup immediately, leaving it to die.
In fact, touching any wildlife in the Galapagos is forbidden by National Park regulations. This keeps the wildlife as undisturbed as possible and helps prevent tourists from getting hurt by a scared or nervous animal, regardless of how acclimated the Galapagos wildlife is to human presence.
¿Postponed… How come?
It is often known that Galapagos sea lions have an incredible ability to conceive as soon as possible after giving birth—sometimes in as little as a week or two. Owing to their nine-month gestation cycle, sea lion pups typically give birth in May, the hottest month of the year and when food is more scarce. The untimely timing of this delivery results in a phenomenon called delayed implantation. This suggests that the fertilized egg does not develop but instead spends up to three months in its mother’s uterus. Following implantation, the egg usually develops within the uterine wall.
