Despite its name, this sea lion’s real stronghold is California, where tens of thousands of records pile up compared to only a few dozen from Alaska. The Alaska reports that do exist come from the state’s southern coast, scattered around Glacier Bay, Prince William Sound, and Kenai Fjords, well north of where the species usually hauls out.
Individuals that do wander this far often turn up on the same docks, buoys, and jetties they use farther south, a habit that sets this species apart from Alaska’s native Steller sea lion. It’s a fast, agile swimmer that hunts anchovy, squid, hake, and whatever else is locally abundant, rather than depending on one prey type.
Records here run year-round but peak from February through May. With so few Alaska sightings on record, that pattern is thin enough that a single good year of reports could shift it considerably.
Full species profile
