17th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Beach Master

Don’t mess with the beach master. A male Australian sea lion basks in the sun with one of his mates on Seal Beach, Kangaroo Island, Australia. This particular beach is home to over 1,000 sea lions, comprising 1/7 of the entire population! Each of the males can maintain a harem of up to 30 females. In order to get up close to the sea lions, you need to book a guided tour with a conservation park ranger; many tours are run throughout the day.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2019
Photo Location: Australia
Camera: COOLPIX P510
Copyright: © Andrew Petlock