California Sea Lions: Fastest of Their Kind

The California Sea Lion is the fastest of any other sea lion or seal, reaching to speeds of about 25 miles per hour. It has a sleeker figure, and doesn’t have the typical lion-like mane. California sea lions have the ability to slow their heart rate down, allowing them to dive under the water and hold their breath for ten minutes at a time. Sometimes they will hunt continuously for up to 30 hours with several dives lasting three to five minutes throughout the hunt. They are very cooperative animals and are often the ones in circus shows balancing balls on their noses.