Haematopus bachmani

Size: 8” in height.

Habitat: A non-migratory, rocky-shore bird.

Appearance: A large shorebird with black plumage, pink legs, and red-rimmed yellow eyes. Its long, thin, bright orange bill is used to catch prey from crevices, mussel beds and rocks. It has a characteristic high-pitched piercing call, which can often be heard above the noise of the surf.

Ecology: Oystercatchers forage at low tides on a variety of intertidal animals, but especially on mussels and limpets. As a mussel gapes open when splashed by a rising tide, they are vulnerable to oystercatcher predation. The bird must deliver a quick, sharp stab between the two shells and sever the adductor muscles so that the mussel doesn’t close down on the oystercatcher’s beak. Once inside, the oystercatcher will withdraw the meat and swallow, yum! With limpets, a true treat, oystercatchers will jab at the edge of the shell in order to dislodge the limpet from a rock. The oystercatcher will then shake out the meat and swallow it in one gulp. Look for empty limpet shells that have a nick out of their edge. This is a sign they have been eaten by an oyster catcher.

Zalophus californianus

Size: Females weigh 200 to 400 pounds and are up to six feet in length. Males weigh 500 to 750 pounds and grow up to 8 feet long.

Diet: Fish, Shellfish, Squid.

Habitat: California Sea Lions breed in southern California and Mexico. The individuals that we see here along the Oregon coast are males traveling to or from waters as far north as Alaska. These sea lions are commonly seen just offshore, but can be seen swimming in some marinas and lounging on the docks. They are responsible for the loud barking sounds heard at the harbor and at Simpson reef.

Appearance: These sea lions are easily identifiable by their incredibly loud bark. When dry they are light brown, and when wet they are much darker. Males have a bony crest on their head that grows larger with age. All Sea lions can be distinguished from seals by the way they move. Observe how sea lions can pull their flippers under their body for walking. Seals, on the other hand, can’t use their flippers in this fassion and must scoot along on thier bellies instead.

Human Interaction: California Sea Lions have become habituated to humans and have taken advantage of our interactions with the environment. They have learned that fishing boats provide an abundant source of food, and do Dams, such as Bonneville, which create obstacles for salmon during their annual migration. Many salmon fishermen have a strong aversion towards these lea lions.

Eumetopias jubatus

Size: Females weigh around 600 pounds, and grow to seven feet in length. Males can weigh over one ton and grow up to ten feet in length.

Diet: Fish, Squid, Octopus.

Habitat: These sea lions are residents of the Oregon coast.

Appearance: These are the largest sea lions. When dry the are much lighter in color than the California Sea Lion.

Ecology: Many sea lions of both sexes can be seen resting on the rocks from Simpson’s Reef Overlook in Cape Arago State Park. While not as significant a threat to the salmon and other freshwater fish populations as the California Sea Lion, they are found in the Columbia River as well.

Phoca vitulina

Size: These mammals weigh roughly 250-400 lbs. and reach a length of about 5’.

Lifespan: Up to 30 years.

Diet: Feed on a variety of fish.

Habitat: Because they are less equipped for on land mobility than are sea lions, harbor seals are often seen perched on lower or slightly submerged rocks. They are also often spotted on sandy beaches, especially when pupping.

Appearance: Their spotted coats vary in color from silver-gray to black to dark brown. They have small flippers and lack external ear flaps.

Ecology: Harbor seals remain in our local near shore waters year-round. In the spring mature females bear pups weighing roughly 30 lbs. Mothers nurse their young for 3-4 weeks, during which time one can often spot the pair lounging on sun-bathed rock outcroppings or swimming in the waves among the bull kelp. Pups are skilled swimmers at birth, though they are often seen resting on mom’s back learning how to be adult harbor seals. These seals can also often be spotten in, you guessed it, the harbor!

Mirounga angustirostris

Size: Males weigh up to two and a half tons and can be over fifteen feet long. Females weigh around 1200 pounds and grow to ten feet in length.

Diet: Skates, rays, squid, octopus, eels, small sharks.

Habitat: These seals spend most of the lives out in the deep waters of the open ocean. They can hold their breathes for up to 80 minutes, and the average depth of their dives is between 900 and 15oo feet. Dives have been recorded of 4,000 feet.

Appearance: This species is the largest seal. They are brown to grey in color. Males have a large protruding snout that is used when they make a loud noise on the breeding ground.

Ecology: Despite their adaptation to living in the open ocean and diving to great depths, these seals still have to come ashore twice a year, once to breed and once to molt. When they are molting these seals rest on beaches loosing their hair and some layers of skin for about three weeks. Females and juvenile males molt earlier in teh season while adult males will molt later. Due to their restful behavior while on land, these seals are often mistaken for giant logs.