72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) are the world's largest sea lion — males can reach 11 feet and weigh over 2,400 pounds — and each November impressive numbers leave their northern rookeries and haul out along the Washington and Oregon coasts, at rocky outcroppings in the Salish Sea, and at navigational structures throughout Puget Sound. Their arrival coincides with the intensifying salmon runs and the return of winter prey in nearshore waters. The most dramatic and accessible viewing is at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, where dozens of Steller and California sea lions gather on fish ladders and navigation structures to intercept adult salmon migrating upriver. Stellers now remain at Bonneville for much of the year, but their numbers peak in fall and winter when steelhead and salmon runs intensify. The visitor center at Bonneville Dam has windows overlooking the fish ladder where sea lions can sometimes be seen. Along the outer coast, Stellers haul out on rocky sea stacks from Cape Flattery south through Oregon. Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge at the mouth of Discovery Bay on the Strait of Juan de Fuca hosts one of the largest Steller sea lion haulouts in the inland sea. San Juan Island's southern end — specifically the rocky shores near Cattle Point — has regular haul-outs visible from shore. In the waters between the San Juan Islands and BC's Gulf Islands, the huge Bigg's (transient) orca populations target these arriving sea lions as winter prey, creating some of the most dramatic predator-prey encounters in the region. Whale-watch boats operating out of Friday Harbor and Victoria, BC, run into November specifically to witness this.