The
Steller sea lion (
Eumetopias jubatus) also known as the
northern sea lion and
Steller's sea lion, is a
near threatened species of
sea lions in the northern
Pacific. It is the
sole member of the genus
Eumetopias and the largest of the
eared seals (Otariidae). Among
pinnipeds, it is inferior in size only to the
walrus and the two
elephant seals. The species is named for the naturalist
Georg Wilhelm Steller, who first described them in 1741. The Steller sea lion has attracted considerable attention in recent decades due to significant, unexplained declines in their numbers over a large portion of their range in
Alaska.