Photographic identification of individuals, a standard technique in the study of whales and dolphins, has seldom been attempted in pinniped studies. Photographs of damage and abnormalities in fore and hind flippers facilitated individual identification of almost 80% of individuals encountered during a 3‐year study of New Zealand sea lions(Phocarctos hookeri)at the Otago Peninsula. Lower canine size and large body scars were also useful in identifying individuals. None of the features used to identify the 48 individuals in this study changed sufficiently to hinder positive identification. Especially in small populations, the method has several advantages over traditional tagging.