Stellar sea lion known as the northern sea lion, is a sea lion of the
northern Pacific.
It is the sole member of the genus Eumetopias and the largest of the eared
seals.
Among pinnipeds, it is inferior in size only to the walrus and the two
elephant seals.
The species is named for the naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller who first
described them in 1741.
The Steller sea lion has attracted considerable attention in recent
decades due to significant, unexplained declines in their numbers over a large
portion of their range in Alaska.
Interview with Former Race Rocks Lighthouse Keeper
Mr. Kurt Cehak was a junior lighthouse keeper at Race Rocks during the
1960's, during this time he lived full time on Race Rocks with his wife and
son. He agreed to discuss some of his Stellar Sea Lion experiences.
Sea Lion Swim
Stellar Sea Lion swim.
The range of the Stellar sea lion extends from the Kuril Islands and the
Sea of Okhotsk in Russia to the Gulf of Alaska in the north, and down to Año
Nuevo Island off central California.
Stellar Sea Lion on land at Race Rocks
Stellar sea lion hunting behavior seems to prefer schooling fish and remain primarily in
between inter-tidal zones and continental shelves, exactly like Race Rocks.
They are also known to enter estuarine environments and feed on some
semi-freshwater fish like sturgeon.
Very occasionally, they have been known to feed on Northern fur
seal, harbor seal and sea otter pups.
They are near the top of the marine food chain but are susceptible to
predation by orcas.
"The Legendary Captain" Ron King, Owner Operator of Sea
King Adventures, has over 35 years of experience in the beautiful waters
around Victoria and Vancouver Island. He is a certified Master Skipper
with The distinction of being Victoria's most knowledgeable marine naturalist
and conservationist .
Since starting SeaKing Adventures in 1995 Ron boasts a
perfect safety record.
Born and raised in Victoria, Captain Ron has over 30 years
of professional marine experience - including 25 years of commercial fishing and
11 years whale watching.
Like his father before him, going to sea is the only life he’s known. He began
his career as a deckhand on board his father’s fishing boat "Five Kings II" at
the tender age of 11. By the time he was 20, he owned and operated his first
fishing vessel, "Aquarius".
In 1995, with the commercial fishery in decline, he
discovered his passion and purpose in whale watching and founded SeaKing
Adventures Inc.
Because SeaKing Adventures is Victoria’s only 100% family owned and
operated marine tour company, Ron’s commitment to quality, safety and
satisfaction is guaranteed! His central location on board the vessel allows him
to provide Victoria’s most comprehensive fully narrated, totally interactive and
personalized tours. Boasting a spotless safety record and sightings guarantee,
Ron’s qualifications and experience combine to make him the city’s premier
guide.
Our vessel can accommodate groups of 12 comfortably and is
Canadian Coast Guard inspected annually. The soft riding boat has comfy leather
seats, an onboard toilet and is equipped with all the latest in GPS, radar and
communications apparatus. Safety survival suits are supplied for each
passenger.
Passengers can all expect a exciting, educational, safe and
comfortable tour of the area whales and wildlife.
