Learn about the Grizzlies of the Sea at Camp Orkila

Stellar sea lions, captured (in photo) by Alan Fritzburg

Orcas Island Marine Science Lecture series will offer a presentation on the Grizzlies of the Sea — Stellar Sea Lions — on Tuesday, March 10 at Camp Orkila’s Marine Salmon Center on the West Beach waterfront.

Steve Jeffries of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will give this talk, part of the ongoing Marine Science Lectures.

People who spend time on the water around the San Juans in the winter know of the Stellar Sea Lions, with their broad heads, deep throaty roar and golden color, some people call them the grizzlies of the sea. They’re about the same size too. Male Steller sea lions can weigh over a ton and measure 10 feet long.

Steller sea lions congregate at breeding sites or rookeries in the spring. Males often arrive in May to establish territories, while females arrive later and give birth to a 40 pound pup about 3 days after arriving. Females will alternately nurse their pups, and then leave them on the rookery while foraging at sea; returning later to nurse them again. After the breeding season, males disperse widely. In San Juan County, male Steller sea lions can often be found hauled out at Whale Rocks and at Green Point on Spieden Island.

“Because of their massive size, Stellers are rarely seen in captivity, but we have them here from fall to spring; we’re lucky,” says Joe Gaydos, Regional Director of the SeaDoc Society.

Steller sea lions eat a wide variety of prey items. While they eat mostly fish, they also have been known to take squid, octopus and even young fur seals and sea otters. Like orcas, Steller sea lions will form large groups while hunting schooling prey. Steve Jeffries has been studying the diet of Steller sea lions in the region and will discuss this and other natural history facts about these grizzlies of the sea.

The program begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Camp Orkila Marine Salmon Center. The lecture is free. Visitors are asked to park in the upper parking lot at Camp Orkila. Shuttle service from the parking lot to the talk is available before and after the lecture.

The 2008-2009 Marine Science Lecture Series is presented by program partners The SeaDoc Society and YMCA Camp Orkila. It has been made possible through generous sponsorship by Tom Averna (Deer Harbor Charters), Barbara Brown, The Gould Family Foundation and co-sponsorship by Shearwater Kayaks and Jim and Kathy Youngren.