🦭 California sea lion vs Harbor seal 🦭
The California sea lion is a bit bigger than the harbor seal. The California sea lion weighs about twice as much as the harbor seal.
| Row | 🦭 California sea lion | 🦭 Harbor seal |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight The California sea lion weighs about twice as much as the harbor seal. | 240 to 701 lb109 to 318 kg1 | 181 to 284 lb82 to 129 kg2 |
| Lives They are about the same. | 20 to 30 years20 to 30 years1 | 25 to 30 years25 to 30 years2 |
| Eats Both eat fish. | fish such as anchovies and sardines, and squid | fish, squid and crabs |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | the Pacific coast of North America, from Canada down to Mexico | cool coasts of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans |
Which one? California sea lion or harbor seal
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the California sea lion or the harbor seal yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed.
Compare two more
Getting the animals ready…
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/california-sea-lion-vs-harbor-seal
Where these numbers come from
- NOAA Fisheries, checked 30 October 2026.
- NOAA Fisheries, checked 30 October 2026.