Sea lions in the Sacramento River.
Hiking along the river near the I-80 bridge, my son and I saw a giant black head breach the water and snort in a deep bass whuff. Could not figure it out. Whales? Giant otters? We'd seen otters in a small wetlands area near the American River Parkway.
But these shapes -- massive. Broad backs, giant heads -- there were at least two near where we were sitting by the river's edge, and then we saw perhaps three more down near the railroad bridge on the way back.
My son googled 'seals in the Sacramento River', and came up with this --
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2016/12/10/sea-lion-making-its-way-through-sacramento-river/
She was taking pictures by the river Friday morning when she saw it.
“I couldn’t tell what it was,” said Grear.
Scott Buhl, a Wildlife Response Specialist at UC Davis, knew immediately
“Oh that’s definitely a California sea lion,” said Buhl looking at some cell phone video I shot Friday morning.
Not a dolphin, porpoise or seal, but a sea lion in the Sacramento river.
“He was just hanging out enjoying the day and didn’t seem to be in any distress,” said Buhl.
Buhl, says the the sea lion appears to be a healthy male, weighing roughly 400 to 500 pounds.
“It could definitely surprise you and startle you to see a sea lion staring back at you,” said Buhl.
It’s not uncommon to see a sea lion once every year or two in the River explained Buhl.
And of course a few idiots immediately suggest killing them. Just -- you know, because.
Humans. Ugh.
They were gorgeous. Beautiful. Heart-tugging. Awesome. Amazing experience on a Sunday afternoon.
= new reply since forum marked as read
The fall migration of salmon up the Sacramento river is in full swing, and well, the California Sea Lion love salmon. Oh, the sea lions also love striped bass, and they are running too, but the bass mostly head for the Delta.
Do you remember Chippy, the wayward Sea Lion?
When good fishing trips go bad / Sea lion swims the Delta -- lands on Merced County farm road
February 10, 2004
A 300-pound California sea lion apparently made his way nearly 100 miles from San Francisco Bay up the San Joaquin River and into the heart of farm country, where a surprised farmer discovered him Monday morning sitting along a road in Merced County about half a mile from the nearest water.
The sea lion, healthy and now resting at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, is expected to be released back to the wild.
California Highway Patrol officers raced to the scene to find the marine mammal on the shoulder of Henry Miller Road, north of Los Banos. While patrol officers waited for help from wildlife experts, the animal sauntered over to a CHP car, jumped up on the trunk and lay down.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/When-good-fishing-trips-go-bad-Sea-lion-swims-2798458.php#photo-2208312