The Stellar Sea Lion is the largest member of the Otariidae (eared seal) family. Stellar sea lions inhabit the cooler waters of the North Pacific. They are divided into two stocks - the western population (Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Russia and Japan), and the eastern population (California, British Columbia and south east Alaska). This species gets its name from a German naturalist named George Wilhelm Stellar who was the first to study the animal in 1742.

Stellar Sea Lions are suffering massive, inexplicable population losses and are listed as endangered.