Sea Lion Caves, OR
The Sea Lion Caves in Oregon is the largest sea cave in the United States. The cave was formed out of basalt rock 25 million years ago and it is the year round home of the Steller sea lion. In the winter months, hundreds of Steller sea lions live in the cave. When spring arrives, the sea lions will move to the rock ledges out in front of the cave to breed and give birth. They remain in this rookery area through the summer.
The Steller sea lion, also known as the northern sea lion, is the largest member of the Otariid (eared seal) family. They are found from central California to the Bering Sea. Adult males are larger than females and have a thick mane of coarse hair. Male seal lions, called bulls, have an average weight between 1200 to 1500 pounds, while females, called cows, average 500 to 700 pounds.
Steller sea lions are colonial breeders. Adult males establish and defend territories on rookeries to mate with females and may go without eating for 1-2 months while they defend their territory. Single pups are born in the spring and weigh between 35 to 50 pounds.
Steller sea lions forage near shore and open waters. They are opportunistic feeders that eat a wide variety of fish and invertebrates. They can dive to approximately 1500 ft in depth and swim up to 17 mph.
Steller sea lions are very social with each other. They play, swim together, embrace, and pile up close to one another while resting. They are very vocal and the sounds of their vocalizations boom throughout the cave and rookery.
The lifespan of a steller sea lion is between 20-30 years.
