The Boss

A South American Sea Lion on a rock in the Beagle Channel. Beagle Channel is a strait in Tierra del Fuego, in the extreme southern part of South America, located partly in Chile and partly in Argentina. South American Sea Lion (Otaria Flavescens, formerly Otaria Byronia), also called the Patagonian Sea Lion, is the only member of the genus Otaria.

The South American Sea Lion's size and weight can vary considerably. Adult males can grow over 2.70 m and weigh up to 350 kg; when they are full grown they will be twice the weight of the females. Adult females grow up to 1.8 – 2 m and weigh about half the weight of the males, around 150 kg.

The South American Sea Lion is found along the coasts and offshore islands of South America, from Peru south to Chile in the Pacific and then north to southern Brazil in the Atlantic. It travels north during the winter and spring and goes south to breed. Notable breeding colonies include Lobos Island, Uruguay; Peninsula Valdes, Argentina; Beagle Channel, and the Falkland Islands.

Mating occurs between August and December, and the pups are born between December and February. Males arrive first to establish and defend territories, but then switch to defending females when they arrive. A male aggressively herds females in his territory and defends both from neighbors and intruders.
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