A young Pacific Harbor Seal pup with milk on its face from nursing. Mother harbor seals will only nurse their pups for about four to six weeks, at which point the small seal is weaned and must begin to forage and fend for itself. That short period of time is crucial for the young seal to learn how to hunt, socialize and swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39130
Young California Sea Lion Pup On the Cobblestone Patch, Looking at the Underwater Camera Taking Its Photograph, in the Coronado Islands, Baja, Mexico. Young sea lions will often play with the cobblestones seen here, lifting them into the water column before letting them sink back down, all the while keeping them just out of reach of the divers they are taunting.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39977