“The Steller Sea Lion Recovery Team recommended in 2000 that researchers begin branding and marking Steller sea lion pups throughout their range as a means to estimate vital population parameters in the future. Population parameters such as survival, age at first reproduction, and natality are important factors to understand population dynamics and gauge the health and stability of populations. Specific rookery sites were chosen to initiate these long term marking studies, both in the western and eastern stocks. For the eastern stock, three rookery sites were chosen in southeast Alaska (Forrester, Hazy and White Sisters) and 2 were chosen further south off southern Oregon and northern California (Rogue Reef and St. George Reef).” Patrick J. Gearin NOAA, AFSC, National marine Mammal Laboratory. Over the years we have seen sea lions with brands originating in both Alaska (Forrester) and California (Rouge Reef).
Pacific white-sided dolphins – Whale Watching
Pacific white-sided dolphins are only one of the many mammals often viewed on the whale watching day. Dolphins tend to travel in pods of several hundred the largest pod I have come across was between fifteen hundred and two thousand. This was in the late fall and they appeared to be heading out of the area. The pods we encounter in the summer are playful and come to our boats out of curiosity. In this case we were stationary as the dolphins were following another of our boats. At other times they will pass beneath our bow while we move along side a large pod.
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