Last Updated on September 11, 2016
The Port of Astoria
A few years ago, a few California Sea Lions began “hauling out” on the docks of the Port of Astoria in Oregon. Ever since the town has had a love-hate relationship with these boisterous barking pinnipeds. They have completely taken over the one dock area, much to the exasperation of fishermen and the boating tenants. The Port Of Astoria has tried many tricks to get the Sea Lions to leave, but its obvious they are quite happy in their adopted home.With a plentiful supply of food available and an environment protected from many predators, the marina has proven to be an ideal living situation for the Sea Lions.
The Sea Lions have become quite the “Sea-lebrities”. We hope that the Port Of Astoria will find a way to embrace these intelligent creatures, much like Pier 39 in San Francisco has. We loved seeing the Sea Lions so loved in San Francisco, so when we heard of another Sea Lion hangout, we just had to take a look.
Take a look for yourself:
Fun Facts About Sea Lions
- Sea lions in the wild may live up to 25 years.
- California sea lions are known for their intelligence, playfulness and noisy barking.
- Male sea lions reach 850 lbs (390 kg) and 7 ft (2.1 m) in length, while females can reach 220 lbs (110 kg) and up to 6 ft (1.8 m) in length.
- You can distinguish males from females: males develop a bump or “crest” on their heads at four or five years of age.
- Sea lions have external ear flaps: seals do not.
Parking: The closest parking is at the Marina. We only saw a day-pass parking option on the parking meter, which was $10.
Have you had the chance to witness such a huge amount of Sea Lions?