Australian sea lions live on offshore islands along the western and southern coasts of Australia. The largest populations reside at Kangaroo Island and Dangerous Reef in southern Australia. They live in large colonies and stay fairly close to shore when hunting. Compared with most pinnipeds, they get around well on land; they sometimes travel inland to shelter from harsh weather and have even been found climbing to the tops of 90-foot cliffs.

Australian sea lions are streamlined, quick and agile in the water. Their diet consists of fish, squid, cuttlefish and fairy penguins. They forage mainly for bottom-dwelling prey in shallow water, especially blue-throated wrasse and octopus.

Interestingly, the Australian sea lion has an 18-month breeding cycle, which means it's not controlled by environmental factors like season. Males establish territories during the breeding seasons and control harems of up to six females, which is unusual behavior for sea lions.

After giving birth, the females nurse for up to 10 days beforing heading to sea to forage. They return every couple of days to feed their newborns. They sometimes nurse and protect young that are not their own, and will even adopt a pup if its mother dies. Some females have even exhibited "babysitting behavior," where they watch over groups of pups while the other mothers are away. These behaviors are uncommon among sea lions.

Once threatened by over-harvesting, the Australian sea lion is protected by the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act of 1972 and today numbers 12,000 individuals. Tens of thousands of tourists flock to Seal Bay and Kangaroo Island to see them every year.

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