The Juan Fernandez Fur Seal (Arctocephalus philippii) is a fur seal that breeds on the Juan Fernandez Islands off the coast of Chile. It is the second smallest of the pinnipeds (the closely-related Galapagos Fur Seal is smaller still). Having been discovered by navigator Juan Fernandez in the sixteenth century, the seals became a target for sealers in the seventeenth. There were thought extinct mid-way through the twentieth century until a population of 200 was found. The population has grown quickly. There are now believed to be at least 10,000 animals on and around the island.

References

• Randall R. Reeves, Brent S. Stewart, Phillip J. Clapham and James A. Powell (2002). National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ISBN 0375411410.