Part of our 'most excellent' Whale Watching excursion also allowed us a very close view of the resident Harbour Seals. Absolutely adorable.
Barrel shaped with large eyes and long, straight whiskers....how can you not want to cuddle them?
Only about a meter and a half long and weigh about 60-80 kg. At one time they were killed because they were considered pests, their numbers are now rebounding.
Found mostly on outcrops of rocks, sand bars and boulders throughout the waters of Vancouver Island. They are resting....it's hard work to fish?
As you can see, it is very difficult for them to raise their head and shoulders on land.
The resident sea lions at Cowichan Bay. Much easier to see them as we headed out on our Zodiac to find whales.
They are Stellar Sea Lions....with a reputation for being some of the noisiest of marine animals. These two seem to appear as one huge pudgy sea lion.
Males sea lions can reach one tonne in weight and stretch out from 3-10 feet long. Because their flippers have bones and joints, they are excellent at walking on land.
Stellar Sea Lions can live for 20-30 years.
However, the numbers of these mammals are plummeting at an alarming rate. Over fishing of their food sources, Pacific cod and herring, (stop eating and buying these now) and environmental pollution are thought to be contributing to this. Both the US and Canada have implemented protection to save them.....hopefully we are not too late.
Seals eat fish, crabs, shrimp, and even octopus and squid along with many other deep sea fish.
They can be submerged from 3 minutes to up to 40 minutes. Very agile in the water, a 400 meters dive is easy for them.
It so looks like this fellow is smiling.
They can live from 20-25 years with females living 30-35 years.
At one time they were hunted to an alarming decline in population, but there are laws in place to protect them. The numbers are now at a record high.
Their predators, besides humans, are the transient Orca whales. Unfortunately we witness at least two seal kills by the Orcas while we were whale watching. I realize it is the cycle of life but it is still upsetting.
Just hanging around. You can see they are not far from civilization.
Apparently this is a 'man cave' rock outcrop. When mating season is over, males leave the females and head for male-only islands.....seriously?
These little creatures tend to be quiet compared to the boisterous sea lions. 'Hauling-out' on these rocky or sandy outcrops is what the seals do to save energy trying to keep warm in the very cold waters. Even with a layer of fat, they are still warm blooded mammals.
"Don't forget to come back we will be right here."
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