Sea lions’ diet consists of fish and cephalopods. The fish they consume include flounder, mackerel, pollock, salmon, rockfish, flatfish, and cod. They occasionally eat birds and seals as well.

The Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus, is a part of the Otariidae (eared seal) family. It is the largest member of this family. It is a part of the genus Eumetopias, and is in fact the only member of said genus.

Newborn sea lions have dark fur with white tips. The adults are brown, and male adults have dark fronts. Males have large foreheads and thick necks. On average, females weigh over 500 lbs, and males weigh over 1,200 lbs.

Steller sea lions live at 300+ sites along the northern shores of the Pacific. These sites are called “haulouts.” They do not migrate. They do, however, reposition their haulouts to follow their prey, sometimes traveling distances of under 100 miles between haulouts. Every year, females return to their same remote haulouts safe from predators to breed and give birth. In winter, they live at the haulouts that are more protected from the cold, including southeastern Alaska.

Stellar sea lions roar in a low pitch. In the water, they use their front flipper to propel themselves and their back flippers to guide their direction. On land, they use all of their flippers to walk in a rolling manner and can climb up cliffs beside the water. 

They spend time on land to rest and feed their pups. They dive deep to hunt during the day when the fish are swimming deeper, and, during the night, swim shallowly to eat the fish that are near the surface. They can dive over 1,500 feet, staying under the water for less than 20 minutes at a time. They travel small distances to hunt, usually only a few tens of miles. Female sea lions leave their pups to hunt for up to two days at a time. 

If you would like to see Stellar sea lions, visit Ketchikan Alaska and enjoy a charter with Chasin’ Tails Charters!