A Huge Mellow California Sea Lion Bull, and a Sea Lion Pup’s Odd Coat

My efforts to photograph California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) this fall were not as productive as in the past, due to a combination of cancelled trips, poor weather, dirty water and a lack of sunshine. But on my last scheduled day diving in the Coronados this year I did have a bit of a silver lining. At Moonlight Cove in the Coronado’s Middle Island, a place I had not been diving for at least 25 years, we encountered a huge, very relaxed bull. He did not round up his harem nor did he make any mock-aggressive bubble blowing passes by us. He simply swam by slowly, often coming very close to check out the camera housings we were holding. I focused my efforts on simple portraits that would illustrate his sagittal crest, the large bump on the head of adult male sea lions. This fellow was at the upper end of the size range for California sea lions, perhaps 900 lbs and 7′ long? Interestingly, he sported an orange tag on his left fore-flipper. It is our working theory that, since the tag showed no information and appeared to be faded, he must have been tagged while being rehabilitated as a pup many years earlier, and reached adulthood thriving sufficiently well that he became a harem-master and reached his great size.

Also, earlier in the fall I spend a dive with a group of sea lions pups that included one with a strange “stripe” down his back. It wasn’t just that his coat was catching the water just right for a moment, since it was permanent and I photographed that same pattern for well over an hour. The water was lousy and the below photos aren’t that beautiful, but I kept them as a record of this little guy’s unusual coat. Cheers, and thanks for looking!

Huge California Sea Lion Male Underwater, a bull, patrolling his breeding harem and territory, Coronado Islands, Mexico. His sagittal crest, the bony bump on his head that distinguishes adult male sea lions, is clearly seen. This particular sea lion bears an orange tag on his left foreflipper, probably as a result of rescue and release as a young sea lion years earlier.
Image ID: 38655
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico

Huge California Sea Lion Male Underwater, a bull, patrolling his breeding harem and territory, Coronado Islands, Mexico. His sagittal crest, the bony bump on his head that distinguishes adult male sea lions, is clearly seen. This particular sea lion bears an orange tag on his left foreflipper, probably as a result of rescue and release as a young sea lion years earlier.
Image ID: 38657
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico

Huge California Sea Lion Male Underwater, a bull, patrolling his breeding harem and territory, Coronado Islands, Mexico. His sagittal crest, the bony bump on his head that distinguishes adult male sea lions, is clearly seen. This particular sea lion bears an orange tag on his left foreflipper, probably as a result of rescue and release as a young sea lion years earlier.
Image ID: 38653
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico

Huge California Sea Lion Male Underwater, a bull, patrolling his breeding harem and territory, Coronado Islands, Mexico. His sagittal crest, the bony bump on his head that distinguishes adult male sea lions, is clearly seen. This particular sea lion bears an orange tag on his left foreflipper, probably as a result of rescue and release as a young sea lion years earlier.
Image ID: 38650
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico

Huge California Sea Lion Male Underwater, a bull, patrolling his breeding harem and territory, Coronado Islands, Mexico. His sagittal crest, the bony bump on his head that distinguishes adult male sea lions, is clearly seen. This particular sea lion bears an orange tag on his left foreflipper, probably as a result of rescue and release as a young sea lion years earlier.
Image ID: 38656
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico

Huge California Sea Lion Male Underwater, a bull, patrolling his breeding harem and territory, Coronado Islands, Mexico. His sagittal crest, the bony bump on his head that distinguishes adult male sea lions, is clearly seen. This particular sea lion bears an orange tag on his left foreflipper, probably as a result of rescue and release as a young sea lion years earlier.
Image ID: 38658
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico