Has anyone had scary experiences with sea lions? On the Oregon coast recently, I've had a few cases of California sea lions rearing up in the water and barking or 'croaking' at me, even as I paddled politely out of their way. It's spooky to have such a large animal mad at you, and I'm wondering if they're actually dangerous, or if it's just a bluff. I seem to have more of these encounters when I'm paddling alone, vs. in a group. -Paul *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Has anyone had scary experiences with sea lions? I likewise have had sea lions closer than I like. On at least three occasions they have surfaced beside me close enough that could have touched them with my paddle. I have never been physically harmed by one but weighting up to a ton they are threating to say the least. Each time I have yelled at them and they have left. On other occasions I have paddled past large colonies where they came out to investigate me but left me alone. Sealion populations have been declining rapidly in Alaska so the creatures are highly stressed for reasons no one quite understands. My conclusion is that though I have never been attacked by one, I treat them as dangerous and if attacked I would sacrifice a paddle to defend myself. Also I carry a tekna knife on my PFD for such emergencies. Hopefully I will never be in such a situation. Bob Alaska *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
writes: " I likewise have had sea lions closer than I like. On at least three occasions they have surfaced beside me close enough that could have touched them with my paddle. I have never been physically harmed by one but weighting up to a ton they are threating to say the least. Each time I have yelled at them and they have left." I've never had a problem but didn't SeaKayaker have an article on aggressive seals in the Texada Island area? I like the little buggers and the big ones too but intimate contact is not what I'm looking for. Duane Strosacker has a great photo on his website of a small seal on his deck. Small is OK. over 500 pounds, no I don't think so. I used to paddle off Sausilito, Ca, a starting point, and there was a small sealion colony there that regularly did the under the boat pass, with a great fishy exhalation at your face as they came up 2 feet away. Never a problem. There was however, one old boy there that I never saw in the water. He'd just hang out on an old concrete structure and watch. Huge beast with a face that looked liked he ran into a steel hull going about 40 mph. I swear he looked just like a huge beat up bulldog. It got to be a joke that if he ever condescended to get in the water, it was probably time for us to get out. No doubt about who was the boss there. Kevin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Here in sunny Newport Beach there are a number of sea lions which routinely hang out on and about the bell buoy at the mouth of the harbor. This is a popular destination for kayakers and boaters to go get a close up look at the critters. We will sometimes paddle to within a couple of feet of the animals and they usually show very little concern. Of course this group is used to getting a lot of visitors. On another note, I was out fishing in my kayak a number of years ago and had caught a nice size Bonito, which I was carrying on my deck. As I head back into the harbor a sea lion approached and tied to climb up onto my boat to get the fish. I actually had to fend him off with my paddle. As this is not typical behavior for these sea lions I figured this particular animal must have been really hungry for whatever reason, and probably needed the fish a lot more then I did. So once I dissuaded it from boarding my boat I tossed it the fish. I swear I could see gratitude in it's eyes :-) Scott So.Cal. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Sea Kayakers, If you'd like to see just how aggressive sea lions can be, go to www.geocities.com/strosaker/stuff.html ;^) Duane Strosaker Southern California *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Strosaker" <strosaker_at_cox.net> > If you'd like to see just how aggressive sea lions can be, go to > www.geocities.com/strosaker/stuff.html ;^) Great picture Duane, But how did you manage to stay upright and snap a picture at the same time--one hand for a paddle brace and one for the camera??? Steve Holtzman *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Paul Murtaugh <murtaugh_at_stat.orst.edu> wrote: >>Has anyone had scary experiences with sea lions? On the Oregon coast recently, I've had a few cases of California sea lions rearing up in the water and barking or 'croaking' at me, even as I paddled politely out of their way. It's spooky to have such a large animal mad at you, and I'm wondering if they're actually dangerous, or if it's just a bluff. I seem to have more of these encounters when I'm paddling alone, vs. in a group.>> I see that behavior any time I paddle past the fish processing plants in Astoria. Seems like the bulls establish a territory and try to hold it against other sea lions ... and paddlers, also. I have had them come up right next to me several times, and was bumped once. Mind you, none of these events were confrontations I provoked. I was just paddling by and inadvertently crossed some boundary. Seems like expectable behavior, and so I avoid their spots. I don't want a tussle with them, either. I have never heard of a sea lion attacking a kayak. Seems like I recall someone whose kayak was attacked by a walrus, but the details are vague. Don't remember when or where. Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dave Kruger wrote: > > >>Has anyone had scary experiences with sea lions? > > Seems like the bulls establish a territory and try to hold it against > other sea lions ... and paddlers, also. Never mind sea lions, swans can be very aggressive. We paddled past two adults and some swanlings (cygnets?) in Stockholm harbor a couple of weeks ago and Mama Swan (or maybe Daddy; I'm not good at sexing swans) peeled off and followed us until we were well out of range. Meg was kinda freaked. She expected to be boarded and wing-beat. Which can hurt. -- Steve Cramer Athens, GA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 10:10 AM 8/23/2002 Dave Kruger wrote: >Seems like I recall >someone whose kayak was attacked by a walrus, but the details are >vague. Don't >remember when or where. In an article by Julia Bent in the April 2002 issue of Sea Kayaker. Also an article on encounters with seals. -merlin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Bob said: <<< Has anyone had scary experiences with sea lions?>>> <snip> I had a big one follow me around for 10 minutes once off the top of Vancouver Island. I got a bit worried when I sped up but the big fella wouldn't relent. Considering I was paddling away from his apparent "area", he must have inconvenienced himself to some degree by following me, I figured...so why was he in hot pursuit? Perhaps simple "maleness": chasing something in a skirt! In today's local newspaper there was an article (another installment) from a fellow and his partner paddling back to Victoria from Prince Reupert. It was a lively account of their "struggles" down the gale-blown shores of Vancouver Island's west coast. Anyway, he made mention of hazards like sea lions swimming out to intercept them and the concern this evoked on the trip. This is the first time I've run across a paddler making mention of our blubbery friends as hazardous due to simple curiosity. I took this as a suspense building ploy to tickle the reader's ear - notwithstanding my own little encounter. I generally give sea lions a wide berth, especially where they congregate at high rocky outcroppings or small islands -- where a sea lion impact would truly be a hazard (a fisherman died this way near a rookery in Barkly Sound a few years ago). My only story from the anal annals of my adventurous journal accounts (unlike your recent oh-so-mature and well written trip report -- as usual) was the one time I was out off the tip of Wouwer Is. in the Broken Islands (I think it was Wouwer). I had been playing in surge channels all day off Cape Beale, then headed over across the opening and chop to the outer islands. I saw a group of paddlers looking at some sea mammals. In true asinine style, I road the surge clean over a frontal reef area into a large pool of water, about the diameter of two kayak lengths with no visible egress. To my surprise, I was right smak-dab in the middle of a large number of rather annoyed, and rather large sea lions. One big-daddy wasn't too pleased, showing off his bone-crushing teeth. I could smell vile breath streaming out his noise-making orifice. I could have touched him on his head with my paddle Others bobbed up to join the inspection. It was a full 30 seconds before another surge came available to wash me out the other side of the ring-rimed reef. It seemed like an eternity, man staring at animal, animal staring at man. I was very close to browning my wetsuit. To make a short story long, the paddlers to the side of the island had missed the whole episode, being out of view of the pool. I recounted the details (not knowing when to shut up for my own good). Looks of consternation would be an understatement. Then, this rather good looking brunette lashed into me, citing a long list of kayak-related insensitivity's the eco-system was undergoing with the growth of recreational sea kayaking. She turned out to be one of the earlier writers for Sea Kayaker Magazine (Roberta), a biologist. She was furious, and needless to say I had made an impression -- but obviously the wrong one. Sheepishly, I removed myself from the area, my heart still in my mouth from the tide pool episode and my foot still in the other side of my mouth from the recounting of the episode. I was, however, glad not to have wound up in the carnivorous creature's mouth. Doug Lloyd *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
PS Bob also said: <<<My conclusion is that though I have never been attacked by one, I treat them as dangerous and if attacked I would sacrifice a paddle to defend myself. Also I carry a tekna knife on my PFD for such emergencies. Hopefully I will never be in such a situation.>>> I forgot to mention that I carry a big divers knife, with a sharp point, specifically "just in case." It might be "overkill," but that seems a better option to "underkill." Interestingly, a man defended his life with a pocket knife near Port Hardy a few weeks ago. He successfully killed an attaking cougar, and is now undergoing restorative surgery. It was headline news around here. (I've been on holidays, so this may have come out on PW recently, but I'm behind on the digests). DL *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Doug Lloyd wrote: <SNIP>>>>>>In true asinine style, I road the surge clean over a frontal reef area into a large pool of water, about the diameter of two kayak lengths with no visible egress.<<<<<<SNIP> Doug, I wonder if this wasn't the same "pool" in the sea lion rocks, just west of Wouwer Island, that Joel Rogers found himself in the incident described in Chapter 7 of "Deep Trouble". Once, years ago when I was paddling solo near Strawberry Island in Rosario Strait, a huge bull sea lion surfaced right behind me and let out a loud snort. I about jumped out of my kayak just from the surprise sound. Before turning around to look, all I could imagine was that a whale had surfaced behind me and suddenly exhaled. Upon turning around I saw the huge head of a bull Sea Lion. He had his mouth wide open in a big yawn. I could see that his jaws were so big that it would have been easy for me to stick my whole head in his mouth like a lion trainer in a circus. I judged the upper fangs to be at least 3" long. Maybe that's why they call them sea LIONS, I couldn't see much difference in the dentition. I was thankful he was not any more aggressive. In many animals (possibly including humans) an uncovered yawn that displays the teeth is a threat gesture. Whether it was or not in this case I certainly was made nervous by what I had just experienced. I have stayed especially well away from sea lion rookeries since then. With no more protection for my butt than an eighth inch of fiberglass skin I wouldn't want to unintentionally piss off one of these guys. Later in a small news article I read of an incident near Kodiak Island where a fisherman in an orange survival suit was sitting with his butt hanging out over the transom of a fishing boat. A bull sea lion leapt clear out of the water and dug his fangs into this poor guys buttocks and hauled him so deep underwater that others on the boat could no longer see the bright orange survival suit color under the water. Perhaps human don't taste very good to Sea lions because this one let the guy go. When the victim reported the incident to the local constable he wasn't believed at first. The fisherman promptly "mooned" the constable to show off his wounds. Once years later when paddling north of Goodman Creek (Washington coast) at a very fast cruising speed, my paddling partner and I had a sea lion keep pace with us for quite a while. It swam in a porpoise like manner right beside us for quite some distance. At times it was less than a couple of yards away. I don't recall feeling at all threatened during that incident. The impression I got was that it was curious about what kind of pace these kayakers could maintain compared with its own cruising pace. Most encounters with sea lions have been with what seemed to be with very shy but curious females that swim behind you in a group and then stick their heads up for a better look. If you turn and see them looking at you they quickly disappear below the surface. Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Matt said: <<< Doug Lloyd wrote: <SNIP>>>>>>In true asinine style, I road the surge clean over a frontal reef area into a large pool of water, about the diameter of two kayak lengths with no visible egress.<<<<<<SNIP> Doug, I wonder if this wasn't the same "pool" in the sea lion rocks, justwest of Wouwer Island, that Joel Rogers found himself in the incidentdescribed in Chapter 7 of "Deep Trouble". >>> <snip> I do believe it was Matt. I hope readers realize I don't behave like that anymore. If I come around a corner and meet sea mammals, etc., head on, then then I'll hang a second and take a picture or two if safe and causing no obvious distress; but other that that, I keep well clear of all marine life whenever possible. I don't chase them, don't loiter, don't bug them, don't swim with them, etc. That's my own policy, anyway. BTW, I've been on the road a few weeks with family and took in the Calgary Zoo for the first time. The huge hippo but on a good show -- now that was a huge, horrible yawn! I'm glad I don't fresh water kayak in Africa. Doug L. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Darn it Doug...I was just in the middle of writing a hasty flame, and realized I was just wasting my time! ;) Shawn Doug Lloyd <dougl_at_islandnet.com>wrote: >I hope readers realize I don't behave like >that anymore. If I come around a corner and meet sea mammals, etc... Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes http://finance.yahoo.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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