Sea Lions in Culture

Sea Lions in Popular Culture

Most people at least know what a Sea Lion is and that is why they are so often found in popular culture. In Peru they are worshiped along with the sea because of what they bring to the people there. They have a long history in this particular culture as they once provided a source of food to the people there. They haven’t forgotten their heritage and you will often find that Sea Lions are depicted in their art work. It is fascinating to see them show such images of them being spectacular when so many of them find these animals to be ordinary.

Many people get a mental image of Sea Lions as being silly. This is because they are often found in captivity performing tricks. This includes at Sea World in Florida and California, at zoos, and in circus performances. However, Sea Lions are also very intelligent so they are sometimes used as a symbol for brains too. Since the Sea Lion is very common in California, many of their sporting teams refer to them as well. This is because the Sea Lion is big, strong, intelligent, and the males are often very aggressive in nature.

Due to their great features, the Sea Lion has found its way into many types of cartoons. A couple that you likely already know about are Kotick which was first a book and then Salty which is part of the Disney character line up. Another Sea Lion brought to us by Disney is Esmeralda in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

There are many great books out there about Sea Lions as well to check out. Some of them are geared towards very young children. They have cartoon characters and plenty of great pictures to go along with the story. Others are for older children and adults and they are fact based. You can check around online for them or check the files at your local library to see what they offer. Many of them will get you a book on Sea Lions borrowed from another library too if they don’t carry it.

There are some wonderful documentaries offered as well regarding Sea Lions. They give us an inside look at the real world of these animals. Since we will likely only see them in captivity, this is a different view than what we may be used to. Watching these types of information will definitely give you a new appreciation for Sea Lions.

In 2008 a great documentary called California Sea Lions: An Unforgettable Encounter was introduced. It was an instant hit due to the educational content. Many zoos and environmental agencies showed it for free. Teachers bought it for their students to watch as well. All of the proceeds from the sale of this documentary went towards the needs of Sea Lions too.

While Sea Lions haven’t really penetrated popular culture as much as seals and penguins, they definitely are getting more recognition now than in the past. As people show more of a desire to get such materials they will find they are introduced to the market. You will notice that a great deal of the information is geared towards younger generations as well. This is in an effort to get them more involved in conservation efforts for Sea Lions.

If you have any creative juices flowing, you may want to introduce something about Sea Lions to popular culture as well. You may have a huge success on your hands once people find out about it. If you are very passionate about these animals you will also enjoy the benefit of knowing you have peaked more of an interest in them.