Editing Pinniped (section)

===In captivity===
Pinnipeds can be found in facilities around the world, as their size and playfulness make them popular attractions.<ref name=zoo/> Seals have been kept in captivity since at least [[ancient Rome]] and their trainability was noticed by [[Pliny the Elder]].{{efn|''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'', book IX, XV:41–43.}} Zoologist [[Georges Cuvier]] noted during the 19th century that wild seals show considerable affection for humans and stated that they are second only to some [[monkey]]s among wild animals in their easy tamability. [[Francis Galton]] noted in his seminal work on domestication that seals were a spectacular example of an animal that would most likely never be domesticated, despite their friendliness, survivability and "desire for comfort", because they serve no practical use for humans.{{sfn|Dickenson|2016|pp=59–61}}
[[File:Kobe oji zoo 2009 April 22.jpg|thumb|right|Captive sea lion at [[Kobe Oji Zoo]] Kobe, Japan]]
Some modern exhibits have a pool with artificial haul-out sites and a rocky background, while others have seals housed in shelters located above a pool which they can jump into. More elaborate exhibits contain deep pools that can be viewed underwater with rock-mimicking cement as haul-out areas. The most popular captive pinniped is the California sea lion, due to its trainability and adaptability. Other commonly kept species include the grey seal and harbor seal. Larger animals like walruses and Steller sea lions are much less common.<ref name=zoo>{{cite book |author=Larson, S. |year=1999 |title=Encyclopedia of the World's Zoos |volume=3 |contribution=Seal and Sea lion |pages=1148–50 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |editor=Bell, C. E. |isbn=978-1-57958-174-9}}</ref> Some organizations, such as the [[Humane Society of the United States]] and [[World Animal Protection]], object to keeping marine mammals in captivity. They state that the exhibits could not be large enough to house animals that have evolved to be migratory, and a pool could never replace the size and biodiversity of the ocean. They also state that the tricks performed for audiences are "exaggerated variations of their natural behaviors" and distract the people from the animal's unnatural environment.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity |publisher=[[Humane Society of the United States]] and [[World Animal Protection]] |pages=3, 18 |url=http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/marine_mammals/case_against_marine_captivity.pdf |access-date=May 30, 2012 |archive-date=September 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930105929/http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/marine_mammals/case_against_marine_captivity.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

California sea lions are used in [[Military animal|military applications]] by the [[U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program]], including detecting [[naval mine]]s and enemy divers. In the [[Persian Gulf]], the animals have been trained to swim behind divers approaching a U.S. naval ship and attach a [[clamp (tool)|clamp]] with a rope to the diver's leg. Navy officials say that the sea lions can do this in seconds, before the enemy realizes what happened.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-02-16-sealions-usat_x.htm |work=[[USA Today]] |title=Sea lions called to duty in Persian Gulf |author=Leinwand, D. |date=27 February 2003 |access-date=April 28, 2010}}</ref> Organizations like [[PETA]] believe that such operations put the animals in danger.<ref>{{cite web |author=Kreider, R. |date=May 31, 2011 |title=The Real Navy Seals – and Sea Lions and Dolphins and Whales |work=ABC News |access-date=July 30, 2013 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/navy-sea-lions-dolphins-find-mines/story?id=13693585|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040707194629/https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-02-16-sealions-usat_x.htm|archive-date=July 7, 2004}}</ref> The Navy insists that the sea lions are removed once their job is done.<ref>{{cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program |access-date=July 30, 2013 |url=http://www.public.navy.mil/spawar/Pacific/71500/Pages/faqs.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619231851/http://www.public.navy.mil/SPAWAR/PACIFIC/71500/Pages/faqs.aspx |archive-date=June 19, 2013 }}</ref>