Ocean Connections is a breeding facility for California sea lions.  The first pup ever born at Ocean Connections was Makaia in 1993 to her mother Sport. Sea lion pups are very playful and can often be seen surfing the waves, leaping and porpoising through the water. Pups typically weigh about 15 pounds at birth and nurse for 6-9 months. Until the pups know how to swim, mothers leave them on the shore while they return to the sea to feed. Pups have very individual calls, which allow their mothers to locate them amongst numerous other pups once she returns to the shore. Sea lion milk is high in fat content allowing pups to gain weight quickly. Pups naturally learn to swim within the first few weeks of life by playing with other juveniles along the beach.

Raising these pups comes with a lot of responsibility, but of course, it's also a lot of fun! Building strong and trusting relationships with each pup from an early age is critical in our positive training process.

Click here to meet the sea lion pups of Ocean Connections.