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Welcome to Canadian Wildlife |
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| Wildlife in
Canada |
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Details about:
Steller
Sea Lions |
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 The clowns of
Canadian waters are the Steller Sea Lions. Intense
curiosity coupled with a built-in playfulness, make
Steller Sea Lions a joy to watch and observe while
travelling on the West Coast of Canada!
Also known as Northern Sea Lions, Steller Sea Lions
were named after the German naturalist Wilhelm
Steller who, after first describing the Steller Sea
Lion in 1741, described them as the "lion of the
sea" with a lion like roar and leonine eyes with
golden pupils.
During poor weather, Steller Sea Lions prefer to
spend most of their time in the water. It is in the
water that they are in their true element. Swimming,
jumping, "porpoising" and interacting with each
other is how most visitors see Steller Sea Lions
when visiting. During calm, sunny weather huge
groups of Steller Sea Lions can be seen hauled up on
rocky beaches to bask in the sun. Steller Sea Lions
have very powerful front flippers and, being able to
draw their hind flippers up under their body, can
easily and quickly climb up rocky outcroppings. Once
hauled out on rocks they begin an orchestra of noise
that can be heard for over 1/2 mile (800 meters).
With the older males sounding off in a "lion-like"
roar, combined with the grunts, groans, grumbles,
growls and bellows it is very hard to miss a group
of Steller Sea Lions hauled out on the rocks. During
this time, many of the juveniles as well as some
adults play and frolic in the water, occasionally
climbing up the rocky shores to play a game of "King
of the Hill", pushing and shoving each other to
claim the top spot. |
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This skill development is important for these
Steller Sea Lions as they grow and mature. Bull
males fight vicious battles to claim ownership to
their harem of 10 - 30 females and there are a few
major rookeries located along the western North
American coast. Male Steller Sea Lions that are
beaten in battle, along with the young males and
non-reproducing females, form loose colonies.
Feeding primarily on fish, such as blackfish,
greenling and rockfish, Steller Sea Lions are very
organized and social. While feeding, they do not
dive individually but rather as an entire group,
usually in water less than 600 ft (180 m). It is
believed that by diving as a group, one diving
individual does not scare off potential food and
everyone is able to catch their fill. Steller Sea
Lions' teeth are ill suited to chewing and they
regularly swallow large chunks of fish and other
prey. They have been observed swallowing rocks up to
5" (12 cm) across which is thought to assist in
breaking down and pulverizing these large chunks of
meat in their stomachs.
Steller Sea Lions have a huge range extending from
southern California up the entire West coast to the
Aleutian Islands across to Siberia and ending in
northern Japan. Being hunted to excess, the Steller
Sea Lion was listed and protected in some areas of
its range under the Endangered Species Act in 1990.
The eastern group of Steller Sea Lions has begun to
make a recovery as the number of Sea Lions older
than pups has been continually increasing.
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