montereybayaquarium:

Welcome to the pinnae-borhood! Ear flaps—called pinnae, or auricles—are a tell-tale sign of a sea lion lounging about. Seals don’t have auricles—which is probably why you’ve never seen one wearing glasses!

There are a few more differences between seals and sea lions you can tell from afar: 

• Sea lions are noisy and have that classic ocean-front bark, while harbor seals grunt and growl. 
• Sea lions walk around on all fours, and have long black flippers, while seals “do the worm” up and down the beach with short, stubby flippers. 
• Harbor seals are usually white to black and spotted, while sea lions are largely brown. 
• When sea lions swim, they often hold their head up high, or hop out of the water if they’re on the move. Seals often hold their head low to the water and barely make a ripple as they go. 

You can see both from our back deck and all along Cannery Row!