Sea Lion behavior?

Anyone have experience with extended sea lion encounters? We had an interesting dive today, and not quite sure how to judge the way an adult male sea lion was interacting with us...

About 15 minutes into the dive, I saw a sea lion swoop down on us. Normal for this time of year, 4th time for me in the last month. Usually they just dive bomb us then swim away, maybe come back for a second or third pass.

This guy wasn't having any of that though. He made 4-5 passes at the edge of our visibility (10 feet?), then started closing in, closer and closer. Eventually he was right in front of us and we were getting our fins nipped at, occassional light tail/fin brushes to the head, and he'd swim up behind us and bonk the tank. At times he'd hover within 2 feet or so, just looking at us mischievously for a few moments before swimming off and starting it all over again.

After about 10 minutes or so of him constantly toying with us, we'd had enough and decided to surface. We put up with him on our safety stop then swam for the shallows, but damn if he didn't start up again while we were on the surface! He'd patrol back and forth on the deep side of us, occasionally swimming underneath and bumping a tank, then backing off a distance and kind of standing up in the water - lifting about 1/3 of his body up while making noise at us. This continued for 5-10 minutes until we were in much shallower water.

Was he playing? Or was he protecting his territory / favorite hunting spot and trying to tell us to leave?

Buddy and I dive together a lot, and I know I wasn't worried about either one of us freaking out, but there were moments under there where both of us were starting to wonder what a sea lion bite would feel like and what sort of damage they could do!

Anyone have some insight? This is becoming more common and I'd like to have a better feel for what these critters are up to and what to watch out for.

Thanks!

-Brandon.

That's a tough one. I have encountered the cruise bys (just zip past me with a quick glance), been hovered over (I did not notice one and it repeatedly hovered over me until my buddy tapped my shoulder to look up at it- and it left), been mud-finned (where the sea lion passed in front of me and dropped it flipper into the muck right in front of me) and have been nipped on the fins (I assumed playfully, but left the area). I know a lady who has had her arm 'mouthed' as she fled in terror. It really seems to be an individual basis. In your instance it could have been a juvenile male, looking to play and was a bit too aggressive for your liking of interaction. I encountered a giant male in Seward with a normal sized female. They both hovered vertically in front of my buddy and I for at least a minute. We took a picture and turned around.

I heard a rumor that they do not like the color red. That may be a local thing since the Sea Life Center divers had red suits (at least they used to). My buddy who wore a red suit and I wore my black/blue suit was repeatedly pestered. I was pestered less. I can't remember the colors of your suit though I though it was a stealthy black.

Taking a picture may aggravate them (not sure if you had your camera) due to the flash. Also, the bubbles you exhale using an open circuit may be perceived by them as a sign of aggression.

Hey, the male could have been looking for a mate as well and was sizing you up! It is the right time of year for that too.

Interesting... no camera, but after diving with you and Tom last summer I've taken to wearing a strobe on my ankle, especially for night/low vis dives. Had it that dive.

-B

Sounds remarkably like the encounter I had with Stellers down in Southeast last summer.

Covediver's Underwater World

Apparently, as it was explained to us, bachelor bulls will use humans to practice encounter skills that they will need to get a harem of females and protect them for incursion once the bachelor bull quits being a bachelor. Bulls and the bees stuff. I assume there is no need for illustrations.

Wow, that is an eerily similar description. Not an exaggeration by any means...

Thanks a bunch for posting that link. Can't say I'm super excited to play sea lion chew toy again, but knowing what they're up to is at least reassuring!

-B

Diving Resurrection Bay the last 10 years, we have never had an aggressive encounter by males or females. Around 50% of our dives are with them, but only the occasional male. Fin tugging is not unusual. I tell other divers to keep fingers in close because I have had a female mouth my glove, but not bite. I don't believe strobes change their behavior. On several occasions pics and video (constant light) were taken, and even after numerous shots or extended footage, they would return. On one dive in particular, we guessed there were 16 around 3 of us. We could count 11 in front, but who really knows how many were to the sides and back. Anyway, they stuck around for about 15 minutes. Every few minutes going to the surface for a new breath and then it was "here they come, again!"....and again, and again. We shot pics and video all thru that encounter. Some would mouth strobes and "sniff" housings, but funny only a few fin tugs between them and all that time. One of those dives to remember! Also bubbles and going vertical in the water column do not seem to aggrevate the ones we've been with. On several occasions, females would blow bubbles from their noses, right in front of us.....to....imitate us???? I've been vertical in the water many times with them, just spinning round and a round trying to get off shots or footage, and never was aggression felt. Another example is of a newer F & G biologist who was with me. We're cruising along, and we spot this young bull, just lying on this rock, U/W, peering from behind another one. It slithers down the side of the wall like a snake, then with one flip goes vertical right in front of the vertical biologist, less than 3 feet away. Ah, but for a camera that dive. They just looked at each other and with another flip he was gone. Maybe we've just been lucky, but I don't think so, since we've had so many encounters. Hope this helps

You certainly were lucky! Wow so many sea lions surrounding your group at once. How amazing it must have been.

When 'm not diving in Resurrection Bay I like going to the Seward Sea Life Center and watching Woody a massive male seal lion interact with small children who come near the base of his huge tank at the bottom. The children are small and usually lean into the glass to look at him through the distortion of the glass. He stealths low and appears from behind the corner and blows bubbles at the children. They scream with laughter. Adults who lean in get a rapid face-push into the glass. It is a bit startling and everyone around the person laughs. I wonder if the Sea Lion like to hear or see the reactions. Marine mammals are very intelligent and varied in their personalities!

We see them all the time, sometimes they buzz by and they are gone other times they stick with you for the entire dive.

Funny thing, We did a little dive down to 260' a couple weeks ago. I looked up and could see them looking down at us from about 130'. They refused to come down that deep!

DM

Since they only went to 130', does that mean sea lions have only gone through AOW and no tech diving classes?

I think it's only because they don't have a source for helium...

-B