Gardner Bay

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Thu 25 Apr 2013 22:59
Gardner Bay
 
 
 
 
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 130
 
We got back in the panga after our long snorkel and Chino took us straight over to Gardner Beach. I was cold and could have done with a tee-shirt via Vision, instead I snuggled up on the hot sand with my new friends. I cut the rest of my body off as not to confuse readers with a beached whale.
 
 

Fluctuating between twenty and fifty thousand sea lions, the population of Galapagos Sea Lions does have a few threats. During el Niño events, the population tends to decrease due to die-offs, cessation of reproduction, and collapses in marine life on which the seals are dependent. Sharks and killer whales are the main predators to the sea lion. Feeding mostly on sardines, Galápagos sea lions sometimes travel five to ten miles from the coast over the span of days to hunt for their prey. This is when they come into contact with their biggest predators: sharks and killer whales. Injuries and scars from attacks are often visible. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos sea lions range from fifty nine to ninety eight inches in length and weigh between one hundred and ten and eight hundred and eighty pounds, with the males averaging larger than females. Adult males also tend to have a thicker, more robust neck, chest, and shoulders in comparison to their slender abdomen. Females are somewhat opposite males, with a longer, more slender neck and thick torso.

 
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 129
 
I moved in closer and found in the sleeping masses such a sweet little face looking at me.
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 136
 
A different species in the crowd.
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 139
 
Bear looked right at home amongst his new friends.
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 144
 
What was the skipper looking for ???.
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 158
 
He singled out a special friend.
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 159
 
Lovely.
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 163  UW Sulivan Island and Bay 164
 
The down side to our new friends.
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 153  UW Sulivan Island and Bay 154  UW Sulivan Island and Bay 155
 
Irena the sandy photographer, Igor posing and the pair in the masses.
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 167  UW Sulivan Island and Bay 169  UW Sulivan Island and Bay 168
 
The babies love to snuggle together, although mum is better.
 
 

Breeding takes place from May through January. Because of this prolonged breeding season and the extensive care required by the pups from their mother, there are dependent pups in the colonies year round. Each cow in the harem has a single pup born a year after conception. After about a week of continuous attention from birth, the female returns to the ocean and begins to forage, and just a week after that, the pup will follow her and begin to develop its swimming skills. When the pup is two to three weeks old, the cow will mate again. The mothers will take the young pups with them into the water while nursing until around the eleventh month, when the pups are weaned from their mother’s milk and become dependent on their own hunting skill.

The pups have a strong bond with their mothers. The cow will nurture a pup for up to three years. In that time, the cow and the pup will recognise each other's bark from the rest of the colony. Within the colony, sea lion pups live together in a rookery. Pups can be seen together napping, playing, and feeding. It is not uncommon to see one cow 'baby-sitting' a group of pups while the other cows go off to feed.

 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 143
 
One of the boys was rather pleased with himself.
 
 

Galápagos sea lions are especially vulnerable to human activity. Their inquisitive and social nature makes them more likely to approach areas inhabited by humans, and thus come into contact with human waste, fishing nets and hooks. They occupy many different shoreline types, from steep, rocky cliff sides to low-lying sandy beaches. To avoid overheating during the day, sea lions will take refuge from the sun under vegetation, rocks and cliffs.

Not only are sea lions social, they are also quite vocal. Adult males often bark in long, loud and distinctive repeated sequences. Females and juveniles do not produce this repetitive bark, but both sexes and the younger pups will growl. From birth, a mother sea lion recognises her pup’s distinct bark and can pinpoint it from a crowd of thirty or more barking sea lions.

On land, sea lions form colonies at their hauling-out areas. Adult males, bulls, are the head of the colony, growing up to seven feet long and weighing up to eight hundred pounds. As males grow larger, they fight to win dominance of a harem of between five and twenty five cows, and the surrounding territory. Swimming from border to border of his colony, the dominant bull jealously defends his coastline against all other adult males. While patrolling his area, he frequently rears his head out of the water and barks, as an indication of his territorial ownership.

The average dominant bull holds his territory for only a few months, until he is challenged by another male. On land, these fights start by two bulls stretching out their necks and barking in attempt to test each other’s bravery. If this is not enough to scare the opponent off, they begin pushing each other and biting around the neck area. If males were not equipped with thick, muscular necks, their vital organs would be easily damaged during these fights. Blood is often drawn, however, and many male sea lions have battle scars due to these territorial competitions. Losers are dramatically chased far from their territory by the new dominant bull with much splashing.

Because there is only one male in each harem, there is always a surplus of “bachelor” male sea lions. They usually congregate fairly peaceably on less favourable areas of the coastline in “bachelor colonies”. One of the most commonly known is atop the cliffs of the South Plaza Island of the Galápagos chain. Because the dominant male of the harem cannot feed while defending his colony, he eventually becomes too tired and weak, and is overpowered by a well-nourished, fresh bull.

 

 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 161
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 162
 
Youngsters entertained us with antics in the surf.
 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 165
 
Holding hands, now that is cute. 
 
UW Sulivan Island and Bay 166
 
OK one last cute
 
 
 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL PURE DELIGHT