Sea lions were decimated until the beginning of the century because of their fur: effectively protected, their stock seems to have been reconstituted. Among the seals, only the elephant seals were largely slaughtered for their fat, which was transformed into oil until 1964 in South Georgia.

In the sea lion of the Valdes peninsula (Otaria flavescens), the males have a thick mane.

The elephant seal
(Mirounga leonina, 640,000 individuals), the largest of the pinnipeds, can reach 5.8 meters and 3.7 tons for males against 800 kg for females. A characteristic "proboscis" called proboscis swells in old males, certainly to amplify their hoarse cry.
Even if 300 000 animals occupy the coasts of South Georgia, their observation in the open sea is rare and their marine life remains poorly known. Very heavy and clumsy on land, elephant seals swim with surprising agility. Males engage in powerful fights during the breeding season.

The leopard seal
(Hydrurga leptonyx, 222 000 individuals) very agile on land, it moves like a snake; it has no social life and is a formidable predator, from the ice floes to the sub-Antarctic islands. It is easily differentiated from other seals: spotted like a leopard, large head and snout, long neck.