The South American sea lion at a resting site in the Mar Del Plata harbor, Argentina. Here, a lounging male itches a rather hard to-get-at spot. He is, after all, using his rear flipper to do the scratching! This is the species that gave rise to the name, "Sea Lion." Males have a lion-like mane, grow to over seven feet and weigh as much as seven hundred pounds. The current population of coastal Patagonia is estimated to be about 60,000.