Saving Steller Sea Lions:
How Scientists, Zoos and Aquariums, the Government,and 8 California Sea Lions Are Working Together to
Help an Endangered Species
(Research notes from Terrie M. Williams, Ph.D) (Website support by Jen Gafney, Heather Mostman) Funded by the Alaska SeaLife Center Additional Support from the Ida Benson Lynn Chair in Ocean Health |
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Far away to the North lives a sea lion. It lives in the cold waters in the remotest part of the most northern of all of the United States. This particular sea lion lives further north along the Pacific Ocean than other sea lions in California, Oregon, and Washington. It lives above the western Canadian coastline and has made the waters around Alaska its home. The home range of this sea lion is among the jagged rocks forming the furthermost reaches of the Alaska Peninsula stretching along the Aleutian Island chain towards Russia. It would seem that this sea lion has found a place to live that no human could reach. |
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THE BIGGEST OTARIID
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The particular species of sea lion that we are talking about is the Steller sea lion, a giant among sea lions. Steller sea lions are the largest of the otariids, that is, the biggest of the eared seals. Their ancient ancestors were bear-like carnivores, and if you ever heard the deep rumbling, hair-raising roar of an adult Steller, you would know why they were named "lions." An adult female Steller sea lion weighs over 260 kg (570 pounds), which is five times bigger than a St. Bernard dog. Steller sea lion males are even larger, weighing in at 560 kg (1,230 pounds) - it would take 10 St. Bernards to equal one male Steller sea lion!
California sea lions look much like Steller sea lions in color and shape, but are considerably smaller. A female California sea lion typically weighs 110 kg (240 pounds) and males weigh 390 kg (860 pounds).
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The problem is - Steller sea lions are disappearing!
And scientists are trying to find out why.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE STELLER SEA LIONS GONE?
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Trying to find Steller sea lions on Adak Island, one of the Aleutian Islands, can be difficult. At one time, the sea lions covered the rocky shorelines of many such islands in Alaska. Now it is impossible to find even one in some places. (Photos by T.M. Williams) |
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CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS TO THE RESCUE
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Because Steller sea lions are exceptionally large and considered Endangered in many areas, they are very difficult to study in the wild. So how do we study them? California sea lions, the smaller cousins of Steller sea lions, provide the answer. With many California sea lions already in zoos and aquariums and with thousands off the coast of California, we have the opportunity to learn about the biology of California sea lions and then use that information to help Steller sea lions in the wild.
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You are not seeing double. The picture on the left shows an adult female Steller sea lion and trainer at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska. On the right is an adult female California sea lion and trainer at Long Marine Laboratory at the University of California in Santa Cruz. The trainers are the same size - note the difference in the size of the sea lions! Our research team will be studying both species over the next year to try to understand what sea lions need to survive in the wild. |
Each month we will show you how scientists conduct research to understand why Steller sea lions have disappeared and how we might help to conserve them in the future. It is a story that involves successes and failures, hard work and dedication, as well as the help of eight California sea lions. The work begins with three female California sea lions from the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois that traveled to Long Marine Laboratory in Santa Cruz, California: Abby, Bailey, and Annie.
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Abby is the most curious of the three Brookfield Girls and is the one that is always first when it comes to new things to do or places to go. As a result, she tends to be the leader of the pack. Her birthday is June 7, 1986, which makes her 17 years old.
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Bailey was born within two weeks of Abby and has lived with her for her entire life. Like Abby, she is 17 years old. She learns new things the quickest of the three Brookfield Girls. She knows everything from “bounce” to “tumble,” making her a favorite when it comes to visitors to the lab.
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Annie was found orphaned on a beach in Atascadero, California - making her a true California Girl. Although we don’t know her birthday we do know that she is the oldest of the three Brookfield Girls at 24 years old. Annie loves sticking out her tongue!
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We hope that you join our scientific expedition for the next 6 months by following our research and conducting your own explorations with the project below.
TAKE A HIKE - and Discover Nature
A Project for You!
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For the next six months we will discover what it takes for sea lions grow up into healthy adults, capable of swimming and fishing on their own, and able to explore their surroundings. Cypress and Soquel, two sea lion pups at the University of California in Santa Cruz, will make discoveries about themselves and the world all around them. Our team will test how strong and how fast sea lions swim, how quickly pups grow, and what they discover on their explorations.
What about you? Do you know what it takes to make a healthy body of your own, and how to explore your world?
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If not, then TAKE A HIKE with Cypress and Soquel!
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Cypress and Soquel challenge you to exercise more and discover nature. So get ready to TAKE A HIKE - and Discover Nature! |
THE SEA LION CHALLENGE
We want to you to TAKE A HIKE. In fact, we want you to take as many hikes as you can. Along the way, try to discover something new each time. Even by walking around the block, you can discover birds, insects, plants, the sky, the sun, and the clouds - nature is everywhere. Or, you can visit the ocean, a forest, or a meadow. Try writing down your discoveries in a field notebook. For a worksheet to help you organize your field notebook, click here.
You can compare discoveries and hikes you make with the discoveries and activities of California sea lions. While we are measuring the activity levels, speed and endurance of Soquel and Cypress, and discovering how they explore their environment, we want you to do the same. We'll even make it easy for you. You can do all of your exploring on land!
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TAKE A HIKE! (and Discover Nature) |
March update on Soquel and Cypress:
In
February, Soquel and Cypress turned nine months old. Both are still
nursing from their moms and weigh approximately 84 pounds. A nine-month-old
human would weigh approximately 20 pounds! Within the next couple of
months, both pups will slowly stop drinking milk from their moms and
start eating fish. This process is called weaning, and most sea lion
pups will wean from their moms when they are between six and twelve
months old. Human babies will often nurse from their moms for up to
two years!
Soquel and Cypress enjoy spending time with their moms and with Abby,
Bailey, and Annie. They have both become excellent swimmers, and they
particularly enjoy blowing bubbles underwater and chasing them to the
surface! Throughout the day, they swim, play with toys, and nap, just
like a human child would. Once they begin eating fish, trainers can
start teaching them to do the same behaviors that Abby, Bailey, and
Annie do by rewarding them with fish when they do what the trainer wants.
This is called positive reinforcement.
April update:
At ten months of age, both Soquel and Cypress have finally discovered how to eat fish! Up until the middle of March, both pups were still nursing from their moms. After several days away from their moms, and several days spent chasing goldfish in order to get them used to the idea of solid food, Soquel and Cypress began eating capelin, herring, and squid on March 25 and March 23, respectively. Each pup weighs over 70 pounds! This is the latest development in a long string of discoveries that Soquel and Cypress have made during the last several months. Both have become skilled swimmers and divers, and spend countless hours per day investigating their environment. Now that Soquel and Cypress are growing up, the time has come for them to begin learning behaviors using training techniques that will aid trainers in providing the best care possible for both of them.
Click here for photos of Soquel and Cypress learning and playing!
For more information about our research contact Dr. Terrie M. Williams at williams@biology.ucsc.edu
(All marine mammal photographs on this webpage were taken under NMFS permit No. 984-1587-03.)
Page last updated: 11 April 2004
Site maintained by: H. Mostman