巨型海藻森林中的加州海狮，下加利福尼亚，墨西哥 California sea lion in a forest of giant kelp, Baja California, Mexico (© Claudio Contreras/Minden Pictures)

巨型海藻森林中的加州海狮，下加利福尼亚，墨西哥 California sea lion in a forest of giant kelp, Baja California, Mexico (© Claudio Contreras/Minden Pictures)

海中的“狮子王” The lion king of the sea

海藻森林中的海狮，下加利福尼亚，墨西哥

从哥斯达黎加到阿拉斯加，漫步在这些城市的任何一座码头上，你都可能听到海狮嬉闹的叫声在空气中回荡。加州海狮（如图所示）经常在北美西海岸的岩石海岸边上晒太阳。这些海洋哺乳动物属于鳍足动物，经常被误认为是海豹。有一个简单的方法可以区分这两种动物：看它们的耳朵，海狮有明显的耳朵皮瓣，而海豹没有。

海狮与巨型海藻还有着独特的关系，今天的图片拍摄于墨西哥的下加利福尼亚，图中那些长长的水下植物在理想条件下可以长到175英尺，它们随着水流轻轻摇曳，形成一道美丽的风景。海藻森林是各种海洋生物的家园，如海狮和小型无脊椎动物，海蜗牛、对虾和水母等，还有多种鱼类也生活在其中，如鳕鱼，石斑鱼和濑鱼等。厚厚的海藻在水中摆动，海狮穿梭其间，捕食藏在叶子里的鱼儿。另一方面，海狮也会反过来把海藻当成庇护所，利用海藻来躲避鲨鱼等掠食者。它们藏在褐藻的叶子间，与周围的环境融为一体，迷惑敌人的眼睛。海藻生长迅速，是各种海洋生物繁衍生息的理想栖息地。

Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico

Take a stroll along almost any marina from Costa Rica to Alaska, and you'll likely hear the playful barks of sea lions echo through the air. California sea lions, like the one pictured, are a common sight basking in the sun along the rocky shores of North America's western coast. These marine mammals, belonging to the pinniped group, are often mistaken for seals. An easy way to distinguish between them is by looking at their ears—sea lions have visible flaps, seals don't.
Sea lions also have a special relationship with giant kelp, seen in today's image from Baja California, Mexico. These towering underwater plants, which can grow up to 175 feet in ideal conditions, sway gently with the currents, creating beautiful scenery. Kelp forests are home to a diverse array of marine life, including sea lions, tiny invertebrates like snails, prawns, and jellyfish, and a wide range of fish, like cod, rockfish, and wrasse. Sea lions twist and turn through the thick kelp strands, hunting fish hiding within the leaves. They also use kelp as refuge from predators like sharks, blending in with the fronds of the brown algae to avoid detection. Kelp's rapid growth makes it an ideal habitat for marine life of all types to thrive.