Sea Lions Rest on a Seaweed-Draped Rock off La Jolla

California sea lions haul out on rocks like this one along the La Jolla coastline, within the San Diego–La Jolla Underwater Park and Ecological Reserve. Adult males can weigh up to 800 pounds and carry a thick neck and a raised bony crest on the forehead, larger than the females and juveniles they haul out alongside. Unlike harbor seals, they have external ear flaps and can rotate their hind flippers forward, which lets them move on rocks instead of just flopping along the ground.

Taken November 2011