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 Seattle on a given day, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 19th most-seen of the 25 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.
May and November–January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Sea Lion in Seattle on a given day, against under 5% in February–April and June–October, the lowest months. Those are among Seattle's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain a month against 20 mm in July.
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.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Northern Sea Lion sightings, Seattle has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Portland (United States, under 5%) and Vancouver (Canada, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Sea Lion is recorded against all the mammals logged in Seattle (32 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.
