Mammals
Galapagos Fur Seal
Arctocephalus galapagoensis · also called Galapagos fur seals
Hunting mostly under cover of darkness to escape the equatorial sun, a Galapagos fur seal is the smallest of all the world’s fur seals and sea lions, and the only one that has made a permanent home in genuinely tropical water.
Overview
The Galapagos fur seal, Arctocephalus galapagoensis, is an Endangered marine mammal native to ocean and coastal habitat found only around the Galapagos Islands. Its status as the smallest eared seal species, its unusual tropical adaptation, and its severe vulnerability to El Nino food shortages make it one of the more ecologically specialised fur seal species found anywhere in the world.
A cold-water specialist stranded on the equator
Every other fur seal species has stayed close to cold, nutrient-rich currents, but the Galapagos fur seal instead built its entire way of life around the one cold current that happens to reach the equator, leaving it uniquely exposed whenever that current fails.
Status
Endangered, having stabilised at a reduced level following historical hunting and repeated El Nino-driven population crashes, though it remains at risk given its small total population confined to a single island group.
Galapagos Fur Seal: common questions
Why is the Galapagos fur seal unusual among fur seals?
This species is the only fur seal species that lives year-round in genuinely tropical waters, unlike almost all its relatives, which favour the cold, nutrient-rich currents found at much higher latitudes.
Why does the Galapagos fur seal hunt mostly at night?
This species forages mostly after dark, both to take advantage of prey species that rise closer to the surface at night and to avoid the intense heat of the equatorial daytime sun.
What makes the Galapagos fur seal vulnerable to El Nino events?
This species suffers severe population crashes during strong El Nino events, when unusually warm water displaces the cold, nutrient-rich currents that its fish and squid prey normally depend on.
How does the Galapagos fur seal compare in size to other eared seals?
This species is the smallest member of the eared seal family, which includes every fur seal and sea lion species found worldwide, from the Galapagos to the subantarctic islands.