Here are some interesting facts about these animals:

• Steller sea lions are pinnipeds ("fin-footed" sea mammals), as are other sea lions, seals, and walruses.

• Steller sea lions are also called Northern sea lions and are the biggest sea lions.

• Male Stellers are much bigger than the females. They can grow to be 11 feet long and weigh over 2000 pounds. Females, on the other hand, grow to only 7 feet long and weigh only 600 pounds.

• Steller sea lions eat mostly fish.

• Stellers can swim through the water at 17 miles per hour.

• Steller sea lions haul out on remote rocky islands and coasts to rest and to give birth. They'll also haul out to escape predators such as orcas (killer whales).

• When they're ready to breed, female Stellers usually return to the same rookeries where they were born.

• The gestation period for Steller sea lions is 11= months. Females usually have just one pup in a season.

• During the breeding season, bulls establish and maintain territories on the rookeries and don't eat during this time. They may go without food for up to three months!

• Young Stellers are about three feet long at birth and first venture into the water when they're about three to four weeks old.

• In the wild, female Stellers may live for 30 years but males usually live for only 20 years.

• Steller sea lions are found in captivity in only three places in the United States: Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, the Oregon Zoo, and the Alaska SeaLife Center.