Pup Photos

Galapagos sea lion pup, Punta Espinosa.
Species: Galapagos sea lion, Zalophus californianus wollebacki, Zalophus californianus wollebaeki
Location: Fernandina Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 01611  

Young California sea lion pups underwater, Sea of Cortez, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31209  

Mother sea lion teaches her young pup to bodysurf on waves.
Species: California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40169  

Pacific Harbor Seal Pup in La Jolla About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39071  

Pacific Harbor Seal Mother and Pup Emerge from the Ocean, they will remain close for four to six weeks until the pup is weaned from its mother's milk.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39078  

A mother California sea lion (left) and her pup (right), underwater at the Coronado Islands, Mexico. Mothers and pups spend much time together with the mother teaching her young padawan learner how to pursue prey. I spent a lot of time over 6 days watching this pair in Fall 2023.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39960  

Guadalupe fur seal pup sits on brown rocks along the coastline of Guadalupe Island.
Species: Guadalupe fur seal, Arctocephalus townsendi
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 02441  

Two Young California Sea Lions at Play Underwater in the Coronado Islands, Mexico. Pups spend much of their time playing with one another in the water, strengthening their swimming skills and mock jousting.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39953  

California Sea Lions, Mother nursing her pup.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36861  

Newborn harbor seal pup watches a Western seagull approach. The gull is trying to pick at placenta on the sandy beach as the seal pup, born just moments before, watches and tries to understand what is going on. Within an hour of being born, this pup had learned to nurse and had entered the ocean for its first swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39076  

California Sea Lion mother with her pup, La Jolla, California.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36570  

California Sea Lion pup playing on top of its resting mother, La Jolla, California.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36580  

California sea lion pup at the Coronado Islands, Mexico, inquisitive of the photographer, underwater.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 38558  

A mother California sea lion and her pup, underwater at the Coronado Islands, Mexico. Mothers and pups spend much time together with the mother teaching her young padawan learner how to pursue prey.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 40729  

Inquisitive young California sea lion underwater, this is a pup-of-the-year born in June and only about five months old, Coronado Islands near San Diego, Baja California, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 40766  

Young California sea lion pup underwater, Sea of Cortez.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31212  

Young California sea lion pup underwater, Sea of Cortez.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31215  

Young California sea lion pup underwater, Sea of Cortez.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31223  

Young California sea lion pup underwater, Sea of Cortez.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31224  

Southern elephant seal, mother and pup, Mirounga leonina, Valdes Peninsula.
Species: Southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 38417  

California sea lion nuzzles a huge adult male bull. This is unusual behavior but the bull accepted the tiny pup and did not push it away or injure it.
Species: California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40178  

Young Pacific Harbor Seal pup splashed by a wave at the waters edge, on a white sand beach in San Diego.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39065  

Harbor Seal Mother and Pup watch a Western Gull. The gull may be looking for placental material on the beach during pupping season.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39066  

A small harbor seal pup only a few hours old, resting on a sand beach in San Diego between episodes of nursing on its mother. Over 50 harbor seal pups were born in La Jolla during the 2023 birthing season.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39067  

Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39068  

Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39069  

A mother Pacific harbor seal nuzzles her pup, born only a few hours earlier. The pup must bond and imprint on its mother quickly, and the pair will constantly nuzzle and rub against one another in order to solidify that bond.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39070  

A newborn harbor seal pup, only a few minutes old, is nuzzled by its mother shortly after birth. Blood is still on the tiny pups fur coat. The pair will nuzzle frequently to solidify the bond they must maintain as the pup is nearly helpless. In just four to six weeks the pup will be weaned off its mothers milk and must forage for its own food.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39073  

Newborn harbor seal pup is protected by its mother from a seagull. The seagull most likely wants to feed on the placenta, but it may also peck at and injure the pup. The seal mother does a good job of keeping birds off its newborn pup. Within an hour of being born, this pup had learned to nurse and had entered the ocean for its first swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39075  

A newborn harbor seal pup in La Jolla, only a few minutes old, is nuzzled by its mother shortly after birth. Blood is still on the tiny pups fur coat. The pair will nuzzle frequently to solidify the bond they must maintain as the pup is nearly helpless. In just four to six weeks the pup will be weaned off its mothers milk and must forage for its own food.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39077