California Sea Lion Bark

Here are the California Sea Lions at Port Dock 1 in Newport, Oregon.  They put in a new dock so the sea lions were making good use of it and barking up a storm.  It was a very fun night. :)

Now you know what it sounds like, if you ever hear a sound like that, it's a California Sea Lion. No other pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses) make a sound like that.



Go here to my other post to learn all about California Sea Lions
 

Week 9 of Internship: Only 1 left! Can't I stay 10 more?

I had another fantastic meeting this week with one of my mentors/ exhibit team, Shawn.  Nancee and Mark were both gone.  Shawn really liked what I've been coming up with and said that I've exceeded their expectations.  Naturally that made me feel really good.
He also mentioned the online Free Choice Learning master's degree OSU offers and said this is the type of project it involves, and that I'm doing work just as good as those students.  Shawn mentioned this program several weeks ago and it started the wheels turning in my head.  I'm sure it will stay on my radar as I finish my undergrad and start teaching.
Ever since the meeting I have been hard at work putting together the exhibit proposal.  I've never done anything quite like this, so it's challenging to find the right format and way of doing it.  I'm seeking feedback and advice on it from some folks, so that will help me get it pulled together these last few days.

Saturday was an awesome day working in the Visitor Center to cover for Brian who accidentally signed up for 18 straight days of work (covering for others who had covered for him).  Holy cow, I love the VC!  I got to work at the tide pools and I really love to talk to people and teach them about all the echinoderms especially in that tank.  I love to show off the sea cucumber guts, and point out the sea stars' madroporites.  Perfect for a biology geek like me.
I also got to do Ocean Quest (yay) which I also love...perfect for a geology geek like me. :)  (See why I love it here so much?)

To top it all off, right after Ocean Quest, I was invited by the wonderful Harrison and Kristen (the aquarists) to join them and Diana to feed all the animals, because the volunteer feeder called in sick.  How fun!  Somehow I missed the part of someone asking me if I wanted gloves, so I had stinky hands for a while.  But I didn't care.  It was a cool new experience.  I even got to use the giant pole to feed fish and anemones in the global tank. Sweet.  Something new every day!

Feeding Rock Fish in the global tank

Today was my final shift as a Working Waterfront Docent at Port Dock 1 where the Sea Lions hang out.  For those who don't know, Working Waterfront was started by a group of organizations in Newport including the Port, HMSC, the aquarium, local merchants, and a foundation that has been formed to raise money to repair and replace the docks.  They trained a bunch of volunteer docents and have someone stationed down there 10-4 every day.

Here I am at Port Dock 1 in my lovely red docent jacket :)

California Sea Lion at Port Dock 1 in Newport today

It's been a fun adventure.  Today I tried something new at the end of my shift and actually announced a Sea Lion talk and then spoke to the whole group for a few minutes about the sea lions.  I think it went well, and then it led into tons of questions from people.  People don't seem to always know that I'm there to answer questions.  If I were going to be doing another shift, I think I would do this Sea Lion talk about every 15 minutes for the constant flow of new visitors, or just whenever there is a big crowd of people.


So, all that happened just since Friday!  Monday through Thursday of this week was my final vacation with my kids.  We had a blast visiting Crater Lake then heading to Crescent City California to see the redwoods and explore the coast one last time including the stretch from Crescent City to Bandon.  Over this summer we have explored the Oregon Coast from the southern end up to Tillamook (we had planned to go all the way up but ran out of time on that trip).  We've also gone to the west-most point in the state (Cape Blanco Lighthouse), and gone as far east as the Sheep Rock Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds.  Actually if you include the drive to get here from Utah, we've traveled the entire width of the state!  It has been a crazy fun time and I'm going to have a hard time leaving.
 

Wizard Island - here you can really see that it's a cinder cone

Pumice Rock (orange formation) and the colorful cliffs

"Phantom Ship" - an interesting ancient volcanic formation

Phantom Ship again with shimmering water

The Pinnacles- fossil fumaroles (volcanic gas vents)

More pinnacles

A newly created trail led to beautiful Plaikni Falls

The Fam

Redwood Tree in Crescent City, CA

So I actually didn't realize this was the final post for the internship folks... so I have to just say that this has been the most amazing experience, and I am grateful to have been a part of such a great program and to associate with amazing people.  Nancee, Shawn, Mark, McKenzie, Becca, Bill, Harrison, Kristen, the bookstore staff and all the VC volunteers, Chris Burns from Working Waterfronts, Eric and Sarah in Corvallis, and so many others, I can't name them all.  You have all made a huge impact on me and I will really miss being around such a dynamic crew.

I have also loved every chance I got to be around my fellow visitor center interns Brian, Diana, and Nick.  I hope we all stay in touch, I am excited to see what you all do in the future, cause you're so awesome!  Brian has so much knowledge and is so patient in sharing it with anyone.  I have picked his brain several times and he took the time to teach me the animals in the touch tank so I would feel more confident interpreting there.  Diana has that amazing announcer voice, and is so willing to jump in and help out and learn anything.  It's been fun to get to do stuff with her like learning to feed, and that unforgettable experience with Aurora the octopus!  Nick always makes me smile with his quirky and friendly personality.  Sometimes when I'm sick of being isolated in the library, I will visit the VC for some Nick-inspired laughs.  Thanks guys, it's been a blast!

California Sea Lions

California Sea Lion in Newport, Oregon

Tomorrow I get to do my first shift as a bay front docent!  There are some California Sea Lions who hang out below one of the docks at the bay here, so the powers that be (which includes many organizations here in Newport) decided to put a docent there to interpret for people.  (In case you're not in on museum lingo-  as I wasn't until somewhat recently- a docent is a person who interprets, and interpreting in this sense is basically talking to people and teaching them stuff in an informal learning setting.)

I will actually need to interpret to people about many things in addition to the sea lions.  We had a great training on Tuesday that also covered seals, whales, seabirds, boats, fishing, and what goes on with the port here.  But, since people go there to see the sea lions I figured I better know them really well, so I've been spending the day learning more about them.  So here ya go!

Awesome fact sheet about California Sea Lions by Dolphin Research Center.  Much information in this post is paraphrased from there.

California Sea Lions
Live from SE Alaska to central Mexico
Population of about 350,000
Swim with their front flippers and steer with the back

National Geographic

Anatomy

• Males- larger, up to 10 feet long and 1,000 pounds.  Have a sagittal crest on their heads when about 10 years old, dark chocolate brown color
• Females- up to 6 feet long and 220 pounds, light brown color
• External pinnate ears.  The family name means "little ears"
• Sacral vertebrae are not fused, making them extremely flexible
• Eyes - they have a tapedum lucidum (reflective material in the retina which helps them see in the dark - same as with cats and many other animals)
• Eyes - also have a nictitating membrane which is the "third eyelid" that blinks horizontally and is a protector for the eye.  Some marine mammals and fish (ie sharks) have this to protect them while in the water.  For the sea lion, however, it serves to clear away sand and debris when on land.
• Teeth- they have 34-38 teeth which are used for tearing prey but not chewing (they swallow their food whole)
• Nostrils- Naturally remain closed.  Muscle action is required to open them.
• Inner ear- have cavernous tissue inside which scientists think may help them hear better when in deep water
• They have toenails!  I had no idea.  There are 3 nails on each back flipper.

I can't copy it but this is a really cool picture on flicker of a sea lion scratiching its head and you can see the nails and it also shows the incredible flexibility.


Physiology

• Amazing blood shunting ability - they can control where their blood goes in the body which is very helpful for thermo-regulation and oxygen conservation.
• They conserve oxygen really well so they can dive (which they can do for 8-15 minutes).  Their lungs are only about the same size as ours.  But they can shunt blood away from non-vital organs to allow the oxygen to be where it needs to be.  They also have myoglobin which binds oxygen and is an extra storage in the muscles.
• Blubber- serves as insulation, buoyancy, protection from injury, and food and water storage.  Males who fast through the mating season get all the water they need from the breakdown of the blubber they have built up.

Behavior

• Distinctive bark - if you hear the sea lion bark, it's a California sea lion.
• Eat 5-8% of their body weight per day (15-35 pounds of food).
• Swim 11-25 miles per hour
• Live about 20 years
• "Shark imitation" - putting flipper up out of the water is to regulate their temperature.  They can shunt blood to the flipper, getting more blood closer to the body's surface where heat can easily escape.

California Sea Lion in Yaquina Bay, Newport, sticking up its pectoral flipper

 

Reproduction

• Breeding season is about June- July, and stars just a couple weeks after the females give birth
• Males stake out a territory for breeding season.  The oldest, biggest, and strongest males are able to hold the territory.  If there is a dispute, the males go through some ritualistic displays to try to scare the other one off.  They will also bluff and charge, but try to avoid bloodshed if they can.
• Males bulk up before hand, eating as much as they can, then live off the blubber layer.  The longer they can hold out without eating, the more chance they'll get to mate with a female (or many females).  They have harems of an average of 16 females.
• Females can move in and out of male territories freely
• Females can delay implantation of the embryo up to 3 months after mating, then they are pregnant for about 9 months.  The poor cows (yes that's what they are called, and males are bulls) are only not pregnant for about a month out of the year.
• Nursing- as if the pregnancy thing weren't enough, the females nurse their one pup for at least 5 months and up to a year.  Pregnant and nursing...pretty much all the time.

Whew, I did most of that from memory.  At least I will know a good deal about the main attraction tomorrow.  The rest of the information will come with more time, practice, and study.

If you found this useful in any way or have any suggestions please leave a comment by clicking the small comments link! :)  Thanks!