Marine Mammals
California Sea Lion
Zalophus californianus · Marine mammal, family Otariidae
Diving with California sea lions is the sport's best comedy. At Los Islotes, the pups hit you like a squadron of Labrador retrievers rebuilt for three dimensions: tugging fin tips, gnawing gently on strobe arms, hanging upside down an inch from your mask to see if you're worth further study. The adults are the real spectacle for anyone watching form: half a ton of muscle turning tighter than any fish, trailing bubbles like contrails through shafts of Baja light. Around the Channel Islands they ambush divers out of the kelp shadows in twos and tens. The colonies are loud, smelly, thriving, and pure joy from a body length away.
Waar en wanneer je er een kunt zien
"Resident" betekent dat je ze bij de meeste duiken op die bestemming tegenkomt; "seizoensgebonden" betekent betrouwbaar aanwezig in de vermelde maanden; al het andere is een bonus, geen garantie.
| Bestemming | Betrouwbaarheid | Maanden | Notities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea of Cortez & Cabo PulmoMexico | Resident: seen on most dives | Sep–May | |
| California Channel IslandsUnited States | Resident: seen on most dives | Het hele jaar door | |
| British ColumbiaCanada | Seasonal: reliable in season | Oct–Mar |
Beste maand, in één oogopslag
| Maand | Betrouwbare bestemmingen |
|---|---|
| January | Sea of Cortez & Cabo Pulmo · California Channel Islands · British Columbia |
| February | Sea of Cortez & Cabo Pulmo · California Channel Islands · British Columbia |
| March | Sea of Cortez & Cabo Pulmo · California Channel Islands · British Columbia |
| April | Sea of Cortez & Cabo Pulmo · California Channel Islands |
| May | Sea of Cortez & Cabo Pulmo · California Channel Islands |
| June | California Channel Islands |
| July | California Channel Islands |
| August | California Channel Islands |
| September | Sea of Cortez & Cabo Pulmo · California Channel Islands |
| October | Sea of Cortez & Cabo Pulmo · California Channel Islands · British Columbia |
| November | Sea of Cortez & Cabo Pulmo · California Channel Islands · British Columbia |
| December | Sea of Cortez & Cabo Pulmo · California Channel Islands · British Columbia |
Ze begrijpen
Habitat: Rocky haul-outs, kelp forests, and sandy coves along the eastern Pacific coast
Verspreidingsgebied: British Columbia to Mexico, including the Gulf of California; the classic dive encounters are at Baja's Los Islotes and California's Channel Islands
Gedrag: The ocean's most committed extrovert. Juveniles treat divers as gymnasium equipment (barrel-rolling around heads, mouthing fins, blowing bubbles, mimicking postures), while females loop past in fluid arcs and territorial bulls patrol the perimeter barking. Underwater they fly; ashore they argue.
Dieet: Squid, anchovies, sardines, and whatever schooling fish the season provides
Grootte: doorgaans rond 2.0 m; gedocumenteerd tot 2.4 m (body length; males up to about 350 kg dwarf the 100 kg females).
Hoe je je ertegenover gedraagt
Let pups initiate play and never grab back, keep clear of bulls and their harems, no feeding, and respect seasonal closures: Los Islotes shuts to visitors through the summer breeding months.
Behoud
Least Concern and abundant after decades of US protection; El Niño food crashes and toxic algal blooms drive periodic mass strandings.
Gekende duiksites waar je ze tegenkomt
Gemarkeerde locaties zijn voor deze soort in kaart gebracht door onze redacteurs; de getallen zijn GBIF-waarnemingsrecords vastgelegd binnen ongeveer 5 km van een locatie sinds 1990.
Bekijk
Via de officiële kanalen
Wildlife of Monterey | New film in our auditorium
Live Aviary Cam | Monterey Bay Aquarium
Live Aviary Cam | Monterey Bay Aquarium
Video's zijn ingesloten links naar de eigen kanalen van de makers. We hosten niets en vermelden altijd de bron.