The South American sea lion lives along the continent's coasts. It feeds at sea and returns to shore to breed and rear its pups.
It is large, with a broad, blunt muzzle. Males have a bulky head, thick neck, and a mane as adults; females are slimmer and lack a mane. The coat ranges from brown to reddish brown and is darker in males.
It swims by pushing with its foreflippers and usually dives about 20–65 m to feed on fish, squid, and crustaceans. During breeding, males defend beach territories; after giving birth, females alternate nursing on land with feeding trips at sea.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.