Family: Otariidae, Eared Seals view all from this family
Description A slender sea lion. Buff to brown; appears black when wet. Male dark brown, female "blond." Male’s head paler with age; hair on its forehead much lighter than that on rest of body. Male has high forehead. L male 6' 7"–8' 2" (2–2.5 m), female 4' 11"–6' 7" (1.5–2 m); Wt male 440–860 lb (200–390 kg), female 100–220 lb (45–100 kg).
Similar Species Steller Sea Lion is larger, paler; male has less prominent forehead. Guadalupe Fur Seal is smaller.
Breeding Breeds June–July. 1 blue-eyed pup usually born in late June of following year; weighs about 35 lb (16 kg).
Habitat Usually islands: sandy or rocky beaches; occasionally caves protected by cliffs.
Range Pacific Coast from Vancouver south to Baja California and Gulf of California; breeds on islands, south from California Channel into Gulf of California, mostly on San Miguel (largest herd), Santa Barbara, San Nicolas, and San Clemente islands of southern California.
Discussion The trained seal of zoo and circus, the highly gregarious California Sea Lion often indulges in playful antics in the wild, throwing objects and catching them on its nose and cavorting in the water. The fastest aquatic carnivore, it can swim up to 25 mph (40 km/h) when pressed, often "porpoising" along at the surface. It can descend to 450 feet (137 m) and stay submerged for 20 minutes, using sonar for underwater navigation and finding prey. Spending much of the day sleeping on islands, the California Sea Lion hunts primarily at night, feeding at depths of 85 to 240 feet (26–74 m) on squid, octopus, abalone, and more than 50 species of fish, usually Pacific whiting, juvenile rockfish, Pacific and jack mackerel, and market squid, which it eats by snapping off the head and swallowing the remainder. The bull is among the most vocal of all mammals, continually giving a honking bark while defending his territories. The cow makes a quavering wail to summon her pup, and barks and growls in aggressive interaction with other cows. The pup recognizes its mother’s voice and responds with a lamb-like bleat. The sexes remain segregated outside the breeding season, males traveling north in August or September as far as British Columbia while females and young remain in the waters off rookeries. The breeding male establishes a territory in May, June, or July in southern California and defends it against neighboring males. The males lunge at one another, each trying to bite his adversary’s front flippers. During the breeding season, the fasting bull maintains a territory but does not attempt to keep a specific harem. He may, however, patrol waters where females give birth and nurse their pups. The female hauls out in May or June and gives birth about four to five days later to a pup conceived the spring before. The mother nurses the pup for about eight days, then begins foraging trips, which at first last two days, then three to four days. Between trips, the mother returns for 30 to 70 hours to nurse. This pattern continues until weaning, which in California rookeries takes place at four to eight months. Although a pup may nurse for eight months, it also eats fish. While learning to swim, it often rests on its mother’s back. California Sea Lions mate three to four weeks after the females have given birth. They usually mate in the water or at water’s edge as the female returns or departs on a foraging trip. The female breeds at four years, but the male must wait several more years before he is big enough to compete for territories. Killer whales and great white, hammerhead, and blue sharks occasionally prey on the California Sea Lion. It was once killed for the oil rendered from its blubber, and also for its meat, which was used for dog food. Many sea lions drown after becoming entangled in gill nets; others die when netting or other plastic materials get caught around their necks, causing deep wounds as the animals grow. In the late 1980s, California Sea Lions congregated in winter in the Lake Washington ship canal at Chittenden Locks, near downtown Seattle, where they consumed steelhead trout, a species that is itself considered endangered. Attempts have been made to move the animals from the Seattle area, but they often return, sometimes traveling from several hundred miles away. There were about 80,000 California Sea Lions in the U.S. in 1989, and a similar number in Mexico.
