All but a handful of Oregon’s 1,517 California sea lion records come from salt water and the coast. Lincoln County dominates with 762, Clatsop follows with 233, and a ribbon of records runs up the lower Columbia into Multnomah County, where the big brown sea lions follow fish into the river.
Haul-outs and headlands
Sea lions rest ashore in noisy groups on rocks, jetties, docks, and buoys, and Oregon’s records gather at those places. The Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness Area, a chain of offshore rocks and islands, accounts for 155, the largest share of any named place, while Cape Arago Marine Gardens and Simpson Reef State Natural Area and the Yaquina Bay Shellfish Preserve hold classic mainland and bay haul-outs. Adult males can top 800 pounds, so even a single animal hauled out is hard to miss.
A calendar set by the rookery
California sea lions breed far to the south, on islands off southern California, and only males and young animals range as far north as Oregon. The March crest in the record matches the late-winter peak of animals on Oregon waters, the June and July lull matches the breeding season back at the rookeries, and the sharp August rise marks the northbound return. That swing repeats every year.
Status in Oregon
NatureServe ranks the California sea lion S4, Apparently Secure, in Oregon, and the species is native to Oregon waters. USGS NAS does not list it as nonindigenous in the state.
Full species profile
