Adopt a sea lion

Become a Sea Guardian today by adopting an Australian sea lion

Australian sea lions are unique to Australian shores. These beautiful animals prefer sandy beaches, usually in isolated bays and sheltered areas, living in small colonies dotted along the coastline of South Australia and Western Australia.

Australian sea lion pups are born with chocolate brown fur, which is lost after the first moulting phase. Females only breed once every 18 months and they pup only at the site where they were born. 

Adopt a species - sea lion

Adopt Pup an Australian sea lion with a monthly gift of $35 or more and you will receive:

Our oceans and marine wildlife need your help. 

Australia has some of the most extraordinary oceans on the planet. But right now, our oceans are facing dire threats, more than ever before. Plastic pollution, rising ocean temperatures and damaging fisheries are just some of the major threats that we’re fighting.

Adopt a species today to fight to protect our oceans and precious marine life.

Adopt a species

Meet Pup the Australian sea lion

Hi! I’m Pup!

I’m an Australian sea lion pup.

I’m a bit of a seafood connoisseur and love indulging in fish, squid and octopus. You can find me along the coastline of South Australia and Western Australia. When I’m not savouring my favourite treats, you’ll find me soaking up the sun on the sandy beach.

My colony and I are under threat due to bycatch in commercial fisheries, water pollution and rising sea levels from climate change.

I’d be so happy if you would adopt me, to help my colony get the marine conservation help they need to survive.

Common Name: Australian sea lion
Scientific Name: Neophoca cinerea
Type: Mammalia
Diet: Variety of fish and invertebrates such as octopus and squid
Size: 1.3m - 2.5m
Weight: 60kg - 300kg
Group name: Colony
Protection status: Endangered (IUCN)

Our plush toys are made from 100% RECYCLED fabric and fibre filling.

Each toy is made using 16 plastic water bottles, recycled paper hang tag, and biodegradable packaging.

Join us as a Sea Guardian today and together we will make a difference for tomorrow. 

All donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible. Sea Guardian donations are charged on the 15th of every month. Please contact us at any time to cancel or change your regular donation. Adopt-a-species toys are dispatched after three successful monthly donations.

Not the species you were looking for? Return to adopt-a-species page to select another species to adopt.

Just like to make a regular gift, and not adopt-a-species plushie, visit our Sea Guardian information page.

Learn more about sea lions

The Australian sea lion is now one of the rarest species on the planet. They are vital to their marine ecosystems and are regarded as a keystone species. They serve as both predators of marine creatures such as fish, squid, octopus, and as prey for larger predators like sharks.

Australian sea lions (Bulgura) hold significant cultural value as the totem of the Wirangu people, who serve as the original custodians of the Chain of Bays area in South Australia. They maintain balance in their ecosystems, and their extinction would be disastrous.

Historically hunted for their fur in the 1800s and early 1900s, Australian sea lion numbers have more recently plummeted further, falling by over 60% in four decades. Currently, the biggest threat to Australia sea lion colonies are gillnets, which are invisible, thin mesh nets suspended in the water. Gillnets are used by commercial fisheries to capture sharks, predominantly for the ‘flake’ and chip market in Australia. However, Australian sea lions also get snagged in the mesh of gillnets and drown. Chemical pollution and rising sea levels due to climate change are other possible causes for the decline in the number of endangered Australian sea lions.

Many of Australia’s iconic wildlife such as our Australian sea lions, are threatened by commercial fishing operations. Fishers are meant to report their interactions with these iconic species. Unfortunately, in many of Australia’s highest-risk fisheries, these deaths are being covered up and under-reported. To protect our iconic wildlife, we need an independent monitoring solution to get an accurate picture of what is being caught.

With your support, we will continue to advocate for cameras on boats to provide us with the accurate data we need to ensure the recovery of threatened species populations. Together we can push Australia’s fisheries to meet modern sustainability standards.