Seals and sea lions, part 2

No, we will not be discussing the symbol of the Wild West, the North American Bison, more commonly called Buffalo, in the western movies with Indians and cowboys. Instead, we will be continuing our discussions on the Pinnipeds, but more specifically, the California Sea Lion and Harbor Seal.

The California Sea Lion is found along the coast of the eastern North Pacific, including Baja California.

These animals inhabit rocky and sandy beaches of coastal islands and mainland shorelines. They may frequent sand bars, sheltered coves, tide pools, and structures such as piers, jetties, and buoys.

During the nonbreeding season, the males do migrate north from their breeding grounds. For example, southern California male sea lions migrate to Puget Sound, Washington, and British Columbia, while males from Baja California migrate to the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California.

Most females stay within the breeding areas, or some might move south.

The population of the California Sea Lion is estimated to number around 250,000. The California population has been estimated to have grown approximately 10% per year since 1963, whereas the Mexican populations have remained fairly stable over that same time period.

This means that the California Sea Lion is neither endangered nor threatened.

There is a subpopulation in the Galapagos of this same species, with numbers between 20,000 and 50,000, and this population is “vulnerable.”

The very small Japanese subpopulation was believed to number 200-300 in the 1950s, but most researchers now believe that it has become extinct.