Española Island
The cool dry season also known as “garúa” season in Galapagos lasts from July to December. Garúa is a Spanish word that beautifully describes a fine drizzly rain characteristic of these months. Today was not an exception, we all felt this intermittent, refreshing addition to our walk in the morning.
Sea lions were certainly a lovely delight for all of us today, especially to the kids travelling with us this week on a family trip. Most of our young guests mentioned them as their highlight. What really stole our attention were the many new-born sea lions we all observed the whole day long. We kept overhearing exclamations like “It is so cute!” “ Look at this beautiful baby” “Oh my gosh…” were just samples of the expressions of amazement that arose among the sea lions’ astonished observers.
Reproduction in Galapagos sea lions occurs mostly in the garúa season. Their breeding season lasts from 6 to 8 months, depending on the size and the density of the population. Three to four weeks after pupping, the female goes into oestrus once more, and the bull copulates with her. The fertilized egg floats in the uterus for approximately two months before implanting, a technique known as “delayed implantation”. Since the gestation lasts 9 months, an annual cycle of births is possible. Sea lions give birth to a single pup, rarely twins. The mother stays with it for the first week. Then she goes out to the ocean to forage by day, coming back almost every night to nurse her pup. On nearing the colony, she begins to call out to the baby: it responds right away and hurries towards its mother. It will then start suckling immediately after the mother has confirmed her recognition by smell. By the time it’s about five months old, the pup will begin feeding inshore for itself but may still be dependent on its mother a lot longer, until she gives birth to a new pup.
The cool dry season also known as “garúa” season in Galapagos lasts from July to December. Garúa is a Spanish word that beautifully describes a fine drizzly rain characteristic of these months. Today was not an exception, we all felt this intermittent, refreshing addition to our walk in the morning.
Sea lions were certainly a lovely delight for all of us today, especially to the kids travelling with us this week on a family trip. Most of our young guests mentioned them as their highlight. What really stole our attention were the many new-born sea lions we all observed the whole day long. We kept overhearing exclamations like “It is so cute!” “ Look at this beautiful baby” “Oh my gosh…” were just samples of the expressions of amazement that arose among the sea lions’ astonished observers.
Reproduction in Galapagos sea lions occurs mostly in the garúa season. Their breeding season lasts from 6 to 8 months, depending on the size and the density of the population. Three to four weeks after pupping, the female goes into oestrus once more, and the bull copulates with her. The fertilized egg floats in the uterus for approximately two months before implanting, a technique known as “delayed implantation”. Since the gestation lasts 9 months, an annual cycle of births is possible. Sea lions give birth to a single pup, rarely twins. The mother stays with it for the first week. Then she goes out to the ocean to forage by day, coming back almost every night to nurse her pup. On nearing the colony, she begins to call out to the baby: it responds right away and hurries towards its mother. It will then start suckling immediately after the mother has confirmed her recognition by smell. By the time it’s about five months old, the pup will begin feeding inshore for itself but may still be dependent on its mother a lot longer, until she gives birth to a new pup.
