Atlas of the Patagonian Sea. Species and Spaces

From Valdés to Georgias
From Valdés to Malvinas

Green Turtle

South American Fur Seal (Arctocephalus australis).

Regional Aggregations of the South American Fur Seal (Arctocephalus australis).

References. Green dots: colonies or breeding aggregations, and the percentage of the world population that each area represents. Blue text: those populations for which the Atlas provides distribution data. Red text: populations for which there are no data. Blue circle: colonies of origin of individuals studied with remote tracking devices.

The adults of South American Fur Seal from the Malvinas Islands forage all year round in coastal waters near its breeding aggregations.

All available data are shown (12 individuals from Bird Island, Malvinas Islands) without distinguishing between seasons. Period: January-December.

Dataholder: D. Thompson.


© Daniel Costa		Breeding aggregations
Principal feeding areas

South American Fur Seal
Arctocephalus australis

Location of the Regional Aggregations: South American Fur Seals are found on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of South America, from Uruguay to Peru. Most of the population is concentrated in the Atlantic side of the distribution, especially in the Uruguayan islands.

Diet: They mostly feed on anchovy, crustaceans and cephalopods, diving to depths of up to 170 m.

World breeding population: Estimated at 250,000-300,000 animals. Most of the global population is concentrated in Uruguay.

Conservation Status: Least concern (IUCN, 2008).

Main threats: Interaction with fishing activity affects this species, in particular due to competition for resources and being caught in fishing gear.