Are Steller sea lions aggressive?
Their diet varies depending on their range and the season, based on the abundance and distribution of prey. To meet their energy needs for growth, survival, and reproduction, Steller sea lions likely rely on a consistently abundant prey supply, enabling them to feed efficiently throughout their lives and across all seasons.
Steller sea lions are predators that feed on a wide variety of prey. They feed primarily at night on over one hundred species of fish (such as Attica mackerel, Alaska pollock, salmon, Pacific cod, Pacific sandfish, toothfish, Irish flounder, rock flounder, capelin, elashon, Pacific sandfish, Pacific herring, rockfish, snipe, and Pacific hake) and cephalopods (such as squid and octopus).
Steller sea lions forage both near and far from shore, in both benthic and surface areas. Each individual may employ different foraging strategies. For example, research by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that during the breeding season, some adult females may spend extended periods foraging far from the continental shelf, while others forage closer to land. During the breeding season, females must forage close enough to their colony to return frequently and nurse their pups. Their foraging range and travel distances increase significantly as the pup grows. Adult females require very high energy levels, especially in winter, as they must find enough food to feed themselves, nurse their pup, and potentially carry the following year's pup.
Steller sea lions need a quiet, terrestrial environment to rest, molt, socialize, mate, give birth, and nurse their pups during the breeding season. They are highly social animals and can rest in large groups with their bodies huddled together. In the sea, they can be seen alone or in small groups, sometimes gathering in large "rafts" on the surface near areas with high prey density. Sea lions are sometimes observed keeping their flippers above the water to regulate their body temperature. The flippers are a poor insulating part of the body due to the proximity of blood vessels to the skin's surface.
Adult females, also known as "doves," stay with their pups for a few days after birth before beginning a regular routine of alternating foraging trips at sea and nursing on land. Steller sea lions use their sense of smell and distinctive vocalizations to recognize their newborn pups and form strong social bonds with them. The pups have soft, dark brown to black fur until they are 4 to 6 months old, after which they begin to molt to a lighter brown color. By the end of their second year, the young develop the same coloration as adults. Females typically mate again with males within two weeks of giving birth. Males can live up to 20 years, while females can live up to 30 years.
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