Eumetopias jubatus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), also known as Steller's sea lion or the northern sea lion, is a large, near-threatened species of sea lion, predominantly found in the coastal marine habitats of the northeast Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Northwest regions of North America, from north-central California to Oregon, Washington and British Columbia to Alaska. Its range continues across the Northern Pacific and the Aleutian Islands, all the way to Kamchatka, Magadan Oblast, and the Sea of Okhotsk, south to Honshu's northern coastline. It is the sole member of the genus Eumetopias, and the largest of the so-called eared seals (Otariidae). Among pinnipeds, only the walrus and the two species of elephant seal are bigger. The species is named for the naturalist and explorer Georg Wilhelm Steller, who first described them in 1741. Steller sea lions have attracted considerable attention in recent decades, both from scientists and the general public, due to significant (and largely unexplained) declines in their numbers over an extensive portion of their northern range, notably in Alaska.
Adult animals are lighter in color than most sea lions, ranging from pale yellow... Wikipedia →
Recording0:20
Canada · 2019
© Baxter Naday · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording1:02
Canada · 2023
© Liam Ragan · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:27
United States · 2022
© Tuoichen · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 2 | Nausicaà Centre National de la Mer | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Kaliningrad Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 4 | Faunia | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Zoomarine | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 6 | Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Vancouver Aquarium | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Entopia | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 9 | Alaska SeaLife Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Moscow Oceanarium | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 11 | Pacific Undersea Gardens | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Victoria Bug Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Sea Lion sighting in Portland on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 19th most-seen of the 27 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–April and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Sea Lion in Portland on a given day, against under 5% in January and May–November, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Sea Lion sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Northern Sea Lion sightings, Portland ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Seattle (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Sea Lion is recorded against all the mammals logged in Portland (16 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
