Galápagos sea lion and pup, Rábida Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Galápagos sea lion and pup, Rábida Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

© Pete Oxford/Minden Pictures

Galápagos sea lion and pup, Rábida Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

If you’ve not yet called or visited your mom today, let this sweet picture of a Galápagos sea lion and her pup be a reminder. The female sea lion carries her pup for a year before giving birth, but--perhaps in exchange for that lengthy gestation period--she weans the young sea lion by the time it’s 11 months old. Soon after that, the pup begins hunting for food on its own.

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