Sea Lion

Sea Lions are large pinnipeds that appear in aquatic Treasures in ''Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. They can ''be gathered from treasures guarded by 2 Great White Sharks and yield XP. A colony of 4 Sea Lions can be seen on a rocky outcrop off coastal maps. In maps like Honshu they will be guarded by Bandit Catamarans or Marauding Junk ; yielding other resoruces. Despite having their own history page and being acessible from the scenario editor, they cannot be interacted with nor be attacked.

History
"Scientfic Name: Zalophus californianus Approx. Size: 8 ft. (males) 6oo lb.; 6.5 ft. (females), 200 lb. Diet: Fish, squid Often confused with the seal, the seal lion is a marine mammal with fin feet and external ears. The ears are one of the characteristics that set it apart from the true seal, along with an elongated neck and flexbile neck, and hind flippers that can be rotated to allow for walking out of water. The sea lion is of the eared seal family Otariidae.

The sea lion has a dark brown coat of thin, short hair that is coarse to the touch. They spend most of their time at the sea, coming ashore occasionally to relax on the rocky outcroppings, beaches, and islands While swimming, they propel their bodies with powerful stroke of their forelimbs, using their hind limbs to steer, like a rudder. Despite their love for the deep sea, sea lions are known to sometimes ascend rivers, but this is not common as migration habits vary from population to population.

The California sea lion makes its natural home along the Pacific coast of North America from Washington to southern Mexico, in the Galapagos Islands, and in and around the Sea of Japan. Originally, the California sea lion species included three sub species: Zalophus californius californius (California Sea Lion), Zalophus californius wollebaeki (Galapagos Sea Lion), and Zalophus californius japonicus (Japanese Sea Lion). The Japanese sea lion is believed to have become extinct in the 1950's, as they were widely hunted and none have been since that period."