Seals and sea lions, continued

Thermoregulation: like all other mammals, sea lions are “warm blooded,” so that they need to regulate their internal heat to be stable.

v It is a known physical fact that heat loss in water is up to 27 times faster than in air.

v Sea lions deposit most of their body fat into a thick layer of blubber just under the skin. The blubber layer insulates the sea lion as well as providing for streamlining of the body. It can also serve as an excess energy reserve. This is especially important for males as they fast during the breeding season.

v If their body heat becomes too high, they can lose heat by staying in the water, by lying on damp sand, or get in the shade.

v They will often “regulate” their body temperatures by lifting and exposing one or more flippers. ‘The blood vessels under the skin dilate and absorb or release heat to the environment.