We Call Them "The Boys"!

After traveling to various exotic places around the world, it is always good to come home for awhile to take in the uniqueness and experience again the sights and sounds of home.  One of those sights and sounds indigenous to the Oregon coast is afforded to us from time to time by the California sea lions.

California Sea Lions

These huge mammals glide through the waters of Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon, where they make their home between mating seasons in Baja Califnornia,  searching for those unwary salmon on which they love to dine.  Once satiated, the "boys" as we like to call them, head for a favorite rock outcropping or a dock in the bay where they can loll about and sun themselves.  The sunning, however, takes second place to the featured activity--establishing and maintaining hard-fought territory on those rocks and docks.

Gaining a foot--or flipper hold--on a dock or rock is perilous business if you are a junior sea lion.  The large "boys" easily establish themselves in prime locations and take up as much room as their 800 pound bulk will permit.  The juniors are then faced with gruff and LOUD attacks by the established dock/rock sitters as they try to pull themselves up and into a position to rest and relax a bit.

Or are the junior "boys"  just annoying the senior "boys"?  Whatever the reason, the ruckus is loud, boisterous, and unrelenting.  Gawking tourists and locals alike are treated to an unforgettable display of macho-ism.  Their antics can provide hours of fascinating diversion.