Diseases of the anterior segment of the eye have posed significant problems in diagnosis and therapy for veterinarians faced with the responsibility of maintaining healthy pinnipeds in captivity. Corneal opacities, corneal ulcers and cataracts are frequently observed in captive animals held in a variety of environmental conditions.  Major problems encountered in performing a complete eye examination and the inability to closely follow the progression of eye lesions, contribute to this situation.  The potential for multiple etiologies for a single type of lesion, make the situation even more complex.  This paper presents an outline for the complete examination of the anterior segment of pinniped eyes and a discussion of some major problems which can be encountered during the examination.  Etiologies of pinniped anterior segment diseases suggested in the literature are presented and examined in relationship to data obtained during complete clinical examinations of California sea lions, (Zalophus californianus), and harbor seals, (Phoca vitulina).