Elegant 'hand' of a giant slug-like creature. Harford Pier, Avila Beach, California.  From National Geographic: The clichéd circus seal—obligingly balancing a ball on its nose and jumping through hoops—is typically a California sea lion. But in the wild it is a sleek animal, faster than any other sea lion or seal. These eared seals top out at speeds of some 25 miles an hour and unlike other sea lions, California sea lions do not have lion-like manes. Weight can be 610 to 860 pounds. Zalophus californianus