California sea lion
Zalophus californianus

Are you tired of seeing sea lions here? I know I am. The pictures above don't give an accurate sense of just how many sea lions are still in the area. I've mentioned previously that they're really stinky, which makes watching them for any amount of time almost unbearable for me. Please see my previous posts dated June 6, 2010 and May 5, 2010 for postscript notes of my observations of unusual birthing and new local gathering spots during the past couple months. True to their word, the Marine Mammal Center and NOAA taped off some beaches and placed additional signs up designating the "temporary rookery" and federally protected status of CA sea lions. Quite honestly, with all the yellow plastic tape around the rec trail, it looks like there's a police investigation or something.

Recently (06/18/10), I chatted a bit with a local, nationally recognized marine sanctuary volunteer. He calls the birthing of CA sea lions in our area a catastrophe. While he's seen mothers trying to nurse their newborns, he hasn't seen any milk produced. He thinks there's a lot of misinformation being given out to the public by local organizations. He said the females didn't have enough food down in the Channel Islands and that's why they headed this far north. I'm not sure how he would know this.

I am curious to know how the mass numbers of sea lions this year are affecting the populations of squid, sardines, mackerel, smelt, anchovies, and grunion.

ps 06/28/10 - For more information check out The Marine Mammal Center's post on this unusual local birthing.

CA sea lion ~ 06/06/10 ~ Coast Guard Pier

California sea lion
Zalophus californianus

There's nothing like a newborn to make you say "Oh my, how cute!" Mother and pup appeared to be exhausted from the birthing experience. However, she did manage to aggressively attack several males to get them to move off nearby rocks. After a big wave washed the baby into the water, she grabbed it with her mouth and tossed him back into the water on the other side of the rock. It took her a while, but she finally moved her baby up to another, higher rock. She was still bleeding from the birth. After about half an hour, the newborn was finally able to nurse. Maybe this one will survive longer than 24 hours.

This is the second sea lion birth I've witnessed in the past 2 weeks. Click here to read my ps note from May 24, 2010 of my first sighting. For those that may not know, sea lion birthing in Monterey is extremely unusual. Usually, sea lions have their pups further south. For a local news video, check out KTVU's recent coverage.

ps 06/07/10 - I have dozens of other photos, but the amount of blood was off-putting even for me. I again heard back from the Marine Mammal Center after asking if they wanted to know this kind of information and how to report dead sea lion bodies. Due to the number of pups that have been born here this year, NOAA has deemed this area a temporary rookery, making it a protected place for mom and pup sea lions. Interesting.

pss 06/14/10 - By Saturday (06/12/10), we noticed most of the sea lions had moved off the rocks along the Rec Trail in Monterey and were crowded onto a small, sandy beach next to the Fisherman's Wharf. Only the weekend before (the date of the photos above), we saw the sea lions covering every rock surface available and were not on the beach - it makes me wonder if anyone from the wharf was deterring the sea lions from establishing themselves on the small spot of sand. By Sunday (06/13/10), sure enough, there were posted signs that sea lions are a federally protected species and to keep a safe distance. Today (Monday), I noticed a significant decrease in the number of sea lions from the Coast Guard Pier to Fisherman's Wharf. I wonder if they've started heading out to wherever they go this time of year. Contrary to what I said previously, I think the total number of sea lions in the area exceeded those of last year.  For additional photos, photographer and friend Greg Magee also captured a mother tossing her baby a couple weeks earlier on May 26, 2010.

grunion greeting, 2010 #2

grunion greeting
full moon cycle, 10:10-11:15pm, clear skies

Yep, it's that time again... for extra-fuzzy late-night pics from me. To cut to the chase, no grunion. High tide was at 10:22pm with a relatively big 6.03 feet.

When we arrived, we recognized Dr. G and his cohorts right away. You can make out the coolers for collecting on the right in the first picture. BUT, it's closed season here until the end of May! However, down on the beach we met a lovely young woman named Liz. She's the researcher from SUNY and made it clear, without any questions from me, that she had a permit to collect for research purposes. I asked why someone all the way from New York would be studying a fish found only along California's coast. Her lab also studies Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia) and there's apparently a similar behavioral relationship of spawning at high tide, like with grunion (Leuresthes tenuis).

We also greeted Diane (our favorite fellow grunion greeter from last year), Bonnie (also from last year), and Sheryl (a newbie). It was nice to catch up with them. Diane and Bonnie had just come from a local Cetacean Society meeting where they learned about the endangered status of vaquita, the world's smallest known cetacean. Diane was kind enough to let us know she saw our ol' night heron friend "Charlie" before Dr. G's crowd arrived.

We saw two young sea lions on the beach. We didn't observe any on the beach last year. As per our usual get-away-from-the-crowd desire, we walked down the beach to the cement structure. Even if we don't see grunion, it's nice to get out to enjoy the soothing waves on a full moon.

For videos that show much better than I've been able, since we keep getting skunked in Monterey, check out YouTube's posts: La Jolla Grunion Run 2008 (I like this mainly for the disco music accompaniment) and Grunion run at Doheny Beach (actually quite informative for a news clip).

Brandt's cormorant ~ 05/05/10 ~ Coast Guard Pier

cormorants, sea lions, and brown pelicans

It seems to be in transition as the cormorants and sea lions negotiate space for the coveted breakwater rocks.

Yep, I'm bushed and don't feel like repeating myself from previous posts. Click below in the labels for the developing story. These pics are worth posting for what they show.

CA sea lion ~ 05/05/10 ~ Coast Guard Pier

California sea lion
Zalophus californianus

The literal translation of the scientific name is "Californian big head" for the obvious feature of mature males. Haha! I kid you not. The last time I posted about sea lions, I wondered if the larger individuals might be Stellar sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). Nope. I take that back after finding more information. I'm sure both small and large sea lions are Californian in the pictures above.

Large groups of young males have already arrived in Monterey. It seems kind of early. Last year we didn't see them until the end of May. I would have taken a picture of the masses, but I was close to retching from the horrid smell. There doesn't seem to be quite as many this year, but they still cover every available surface for sleeping. I wonder if the timing of their arrival has something to do with the squid in the area.

Sea lions are interesting to watch. You see them peacefully sleeping and think, awww, how cute... until one invades the space of another and a loud fight ensues. They're not my favorite animals in the world, but it's been good to learn about them.

ps 05/24/10 - During my typical early morning walk to the Coast Guard Pier, I encountered a scene that can best be described as extremely disturbing on so many levels. At the boat loading dock, I noticed a familiar photographer with a tripod, who was way too close to a newborn sea lion. WHAT?! Everything I've found online states we only have males here in Monterey and the birthing happens further south. Apparently this is not true and I've suspected this for some time. Sure enough the female was nearby with blood streaks from the birth all over the loading dock. I stopped to watch next to several temporary warning signs of how it's illegal to get within 50 feet of marine mammals, which were taped to municipal, white and orange plastic parking A-frames. Within a few minutes, a young fellow came out of the local kayak shop with a double-sided oar. He proceeded to whack the small sea lions with the oar. Again, WHAT!?! I hollered out, "What the h*ll are you doing!?!" He stated matter-of-factly that he was authorized and to ask his boss if I had any questions, who happened to promptly pull up in a Monterey City truck. I exchanged some not-so-nice-words with this boss who repeatedly told me (as if the verbatim repetition would somehow make me feel okay about what I had just witnessed) how the City of Monterey has authorization to do whatever it takes to get the sea lions off the boat loading dock... short of killing them, 'cause then that would be illegal. I pointed out that there was no one loading boats at the moment and asked why was it necessary to harass the sea lions in such a manner, especially with an exhausted mother and newborn nearby. It was after this that the young fellow dropped his oar and took up a water hose to move most of the sea lions into the water. I was left dumbfounded and started a conversation with the photographer. I asked him what he does with his photos. He said he e-mails them to researchers at Hopkins Marine Station, but it was his belief no one cared. Both the boss and the photographer had called the marine mammal hotline to report the newborn. I'm still sick over seeing this.

pss 05/25/10 - What? You thought I'd be quiet about this? I heard back from both NOAA and The Marine Mammal Center. Apparently, this is the first year they've had reports of California sea lions giving birth in the area. The pups generally die within a day. They're not sure why this is happening. I also received a link to NOAA's current policy on nuisance animals. Hmm...

pss 06/06/10 - Instead of water spray (or oars), they're now using an electrical wire on the boat ramp to keep the sea lions off. I wouldn't mind so much if the fellow doing it, previously with an oar, didn't appear so gleeful when he turns on the electricity to watch all the sea lions jump off as quickly as possible with some looking like they injure themselves falling over wooden barricades. I have pictures of a mother and her newborn here.

pss 06/27/10 - I don't know if my complaint had anything to do with it, but the fellow formerly of the oar has been replaced by some very defensive city workers who now only appear to use water from a hose to move sea lions.

cormorants and sea lions

Simply a post to show that the cormorants aren't always on the rocks. Often during the day, they go off to feed or simply don't seem to be around. Yet, the sea lions don't move in to the empty space this time of year.

California sea lion
Zalophus californianus

Sea lions are so much cuter when they're smaller. Sigh, yes, my parents took us to SeaWorld San Diego as kids and to this day I still view sea lions as trainable circus curiosities with beach balls on their noses, something like (gag!) dancing elephants, women with beards, or Siamese twins, hence my general disinterest in these animals.

Thanks to this creagus site, I just learned the larger sea lions I often see along the Coast Guard Pier may be Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)... and here I thought they were simply older and grumpier versions of the smaller boys. Additionally, I've always thought we had sea lions in Monterey year round, and some years, like last year towards the end of May, the local population explodes. I can usually smell the extra sea lions well before I hear or see them.

I should look into learning more about our local sea lions, particularly in regard to seasonal fluctuations considering several reputable online sites claim both species are mainly in Monterey during the fall and winter, with some in the spring and summer. I have found the opposite is true. I have photo evidence that large groups are here at the end of May and well into the summer, so I beg to differ with the experts. Hmm?

CA sea lion ~ 07/29/09 ~ Coast Guard Pier

California sea lion
Zalophus californianus

ps 07/31/10 - I have mixed feelings about these pics from last year. Both are of the same individual on the same day. I haven't seen him this year.

Brandt's cormorant
Phalacrocorax penicillatus

I wish I kept records of my observations from the past few years. Hopefully, this blog will motivate me to write down what I see, complete with dates!

I've witnessed the cormorants starting to build nests as early the first week of February. (honestly, I only know this b/c a friend of mine keeps a nature journal with dates and asked me when we're going out to check the cormorants). It's a very noticeable event, because they force the older, massive sea lions off the rocks... which is funny to think about - this dinky bird "bossing around" several-hundred pound, typically obstinate animals... plus, the rocks turn a bright white from all the poop. The courting cormorants are fun to watch as they stretch back their necks to reveal the brilliant blue throat patches. I think it was 2005 or 2006 when they successfully bred and laid eggs without interruption such that they had humongous, demanding chicks by this time of year. The poor parents often look smaller than their young by the time the chicks are ready to leave the nest. However, the past few years, they stopped building nests, disappeared, started again, stopped, disappeared, etc... Last year (or was it this year?), I thought a few late-season storms may have washed away their nests. It's odd to me that egg-laying doesn't happen at the same time each year, let alone within 3 months' time. I read in a Monterey Herald article that the cormorants have a "flexible" breeding schedule. This year there are very few cormorants and it seems very late for them to start building nests for the 3rd time this year. Notice the young sea lions in the background? In years past, older sea lions didn't appear to go on top of rocks until late in the chick-raising season. I know very little about birds, so I don't have my ornithology terminology down. I wonder what's going on.

sea lions

The boys are back in town! And, they stink to high heaven!!! I think it was 2005 when I last saw almost as many young ones here. That was the year when researchers placed a floating cage at the end of the Coast Guard Pier to tag sea lions. Unfortunately, the cormorants seem to be laying eggs very late this year and we noticed many of them dead, floating near the rocks... possibly crushed by the young sea lions?

ps - For an excellent video of sea lions in Monterey, check out this YouTube video.