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Maptlantis

Sea lion · Season

Which months to see sea lions

Operators stating a season 19Year-round 7Countries 6Sourced 1Published prices 21
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About this list

Sea lion seasons differ by country, and even within one country operators give different months. Maptlantis took the 19 operators that name the sea lion as a target species and state their program season in months, and counted those months as written. The 7 that only say year-round are counted separately. The months most operators name are Sep–Apr. The countries with the most operators are Mexico (Oct–Apr), Australia (year-round), Canada (Dec–Oct) and United States (Feb–May, Sep–Dec). For Ecuador, the season stated by a tourism board, research body or local operator is included with its source and check date. 21 of the 26 operators (81%) publish prices on their own channels, so you can compare those directly; ask the rest. Estimated prices are not shown. The months are the operating periods operators state, not a promise that the animals will appear. No wildlife program can guarantee an encounter, and even within the same month it depends on the sea and migration routes.

Sea lion season by country

The darker a cell, the more of that country's operators name the month as their season. A ringed cell is a month operators single out as the peak. Operators that only say year-round are not counted; their number is shown next to the country. The line under the cells is the season stated by a tourism board, research body or local operator (all twelve cells when year-round); the sources are listed under "Sourced seasons" below.

Sea lion season: operators by country and month
CountryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mexico10 operators · year-round 3
Australia5 operators
Canada2 operators
United States2 operators · year-round 1
Ecuadoryear-round 1Source

Sourced sea lion seasons

Seasons stated by tourism boards, research bodies and local operators. Each entry has a source link and a check date, and none is mixed into the operator counts above. An entry with a region name is a source about that region, so it is not used as the whole country's season.

Sea lion season in Ecuador

Year-round

  1. JanJanuary: in season
  2. FebFebruary: in season
  3. MarMarch: in season
  4. AprApril: in season
  5. MayMay: in season
  6. JunJune: in season
  7. JulJuly: in season
  8. AugAugust: in season, singled out
  9. SepSeptember: in season, singled out
  10. OctOctober: in season, singled out
  11. NovNovember: in season
  12. DecDecember: in season

Months the source singles out: Aug–Oct

Galápagos sea lions can be seen across the archipelago all year. Most pups are born at the height of the dry season, in August and September (sometimes October).

Source: Metropolitan Touring (Galápagos cruise operator) · Galapagos Sea Lion Pupping Season Begins · checked Sep 14, 2026

Seasons as operators wrote them

The table above counts the months read from these listings. The original wording sits next to each one so you can check the reading.

  • Silver Shark AdventuresMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    8월–11월

    Aug–Nov
  • Baja Adventure Co.Mexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    10월–4월 · 해황·허가별

    Oct–Apr
  • Baja Charters — Whale Shark & Sea Lion EncounterMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    10월–4월 · 허가·항구 개방별

    Oct–Apr
  • Baja ExpeditionsMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    1월 중순–4월 초 · 10–11월

    Jan–Apr
  • The Cortez ClubMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    고래상어 10월 1일–5월 31일

    Oct–May
  • Magdalena Bay SportsMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    1월 1일–3월 30일

    Jan–Mar
  • Magdalena Bay WhalesMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    10–12월 · 출현 비보장

    Oct–Dec
  • Blue Wave BelowMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    8–10월 · 출항일 문의

    Aug–Oct
  • Mexico Liveaboards · Rocio del MarMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    레비야히헤도 11–5월 · 미드리프 제도 7–9월 · 바하 탐사 9–10월

    Jul–May
  • Nautilus Liveaboards MexicoMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    10월–1월

    Oct–Jan
  • Baird Bay ExperienceAustralia
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    고래 이동 5월–10월 · 야생동물·해황 의존

    May–Oct
  • The Big Duck Boat ToursAustralia
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    6–9월 · 최적기 7–8월 · 연중 · 통상 화·목·토·일 10:45 · 연중 · 통상 화·목·토·일 12:45

    Jun–Sep
  • Dolphin Discovery CentreAustralia
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    돌고래 크루즈 연중 · 수영 11–4월

    Nov–Apr
  • Perth Wildlife EncountersAustralia
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    돌고래 수영 9월 말–6월 초

    Sep–Jun
  • Jet Ski Tours PerthAustralia
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    9–3월 중심 · 해황 확인

    Sep–Mar
  • Ocean EcoVenturesCanada
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    4–10월 · 해황별

    Apr–Oct
  • Eagle Wing ToursCanada
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    12–4월 · 해황별

    Dec–Apr
  • Ocean InstituteUnited States
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    2026년 토·일 09:30–12:30 정기편, 12월 28일까지 · 공휴일·특별 추가편·해황별

    Dec
  • Waterhorse ChartersUnited States
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    9–12월 권장 · 출입국·해황별 · 지역 다이빙 연중 · 칠성상어 2–5월 · Coronado 바다사자 9–12월 권장 · 해황별

    Sep–Dec
  • Sea Lions Dive CenterMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    연중 · 번식기 제한 구간 확인 · 종별 시즌 · 출현 비보장

    Year-round
  • Loreto Sea and Land Tours Dive CenterMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    연중 · 해황별

    Year-round
  • Wild LoretoMexico
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    연중 · 해황별

    Year-round
  • Monterey Bay Whale WatchUnited States
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    매일 연중 · 종별 시즌·해황별

    Year-round
  • Galápagos Below Ocean SchoolEcuador
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    연중 일정제 · 파크 허가·해황별 · 연중 일정제

    Year-round
  • Argentina Vision Servicios TurísticosArgentina
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    연중 운영 안내 · 해황·보호구역 규정별

    Year-round
  • Madryn BuceoArgentina
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    연중 다이빙 · 바다사자·돌고래 상품은 해황·보호구역 운영에 따름 · 연중 · 보호구역·해황별

    Year-round

26 listed operators

How to meet sea lions

Sea lions by country

Other marine life seasons

Frequently asked questions

When is the season for seeing sea lions?

Combining the seasons of 19 operators, most fall in Sep–Apr. The table by country shows how many operators run in each month.

Where is the sea lion season backed by a source?

Ecuador: year-round (Metropolitan Touring (Galápagos cruise operator)). Each entry links to its source with a check date.

Which months are the sea lion peak season?

Among operators that name a peak, a high season or the most animals, it is Jun–Sep. Few operators say so, so treat it as a guide.

What does a year-round listing mean?

7 operators only say their program runs year-round. That means bookings are taken all year, not that the animals are there all year, so those listings are left out of the monthly count.

If I go in one of these months, will I see sea lions?

That is not guaranteed. The months are when operators say they run programs; actual sightings vary from year to year with sea conditions, water temperature and migration. Ask the operator about recent sightings before you book.