Sea Lions and Pelicans

(or Walruses and Storks)

This past Sunday, Rita and I took a stroll past the sea lions that have stopped by our shores on their way north from their breeding grounds on the beaches and islands between Mexico and Santa Barbara. Numbers are heavy this year, as you can see. They’ve attracted a multitude of tourists, many of whom believe they are observing walruses (hey, you’ve seen one penniped, you’ve seen them all, right?) The sea lions are noisy, and they smell like rotting fish, but they are nonetheless extremely cool critters, if for no other reason than they all seem to be having such a good time.

I think this one knew I was taking its picture.

The sea lions swarm around the breakwater (that’s the line of rocks in the background behind the ships), into the harbor, and up on the beach to catch some rays.

These sea lions are right at home perched on the rocks in this small cove.

The food supply in the Bay is excellent. They’ll hang around here for a couple of weeks before continuing north.

This is also a good time of the year to see the pelicans, or, as the tourists like to call them, storks! Hey, as long as everyone is having a good time, right?

Does a picture of a sea lion count as a cat pick? (Lion… Cat…. Get it?)

They’re as fascinated by us beach apes as we are with them.

Sea lions may look goofy and friendly, but most adults weigh between two hundred and four hundred pounds (some are even larger), and they have huge teeth and jaws with the power of four doberman pinschers. Fortunately, this sturdy fence stands between them and us.

The sea lions swam around the Fisherman’s Wharf to get closer to the tourists.

Look out—they’re headed for the parking lot! (No one was worried.)

Life on the Central California Coast is definitely cool, especially for an old retired couple living the good life. The weather is rarely too cold or too hot, and Rita and I can enjoy our morning walks along the harbor any time of the year. Whether its dolphins surfing on the waves, whales spouting in the distance, otters floating by on their backs, or swarms of jellyfish passing under the Coast Guard Pier, there’s always something going on. We don’t have to go anywhere for a vacation, because we’re already on one. Unless we want to see a walrus. We’d have to go somewhere else for that.

So long, folks!