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Sammy the sea lion lurks the Bay

Phil CoulthardSouth Western Times
Esperance. Recherche Archipelago. Middle Island archaelogical expedition. A local sea lion.
Camera IconEsperance. Recherche Archipelago. Middle Island archaelogical expedition. A local sea lion. Credit: Lincoln Baker The West Australian

He’s been lurking around the protected waters of Koombana Bay for a few weeks now.

Big, robust and extremely agile, Sammy the sea lion has certainly made the most of our pleasant spring conditions spending quality time fishing, relaxing, and even sun-baking on the rocks near the Cut.

Looking a lot like a giant labrador dog with a long nose and whiskers, huge eyes, brown fur and a creamy crown and neck, Sammy certainly looks friendly enough, however don’t be fooled by his cute and cuddly appearance.

Despite the fact he isn’t yet fully grown, he is still a formidable wild animal with sharp canine teeth that demands plenty of respect so remember to always keep your distance and ensure all pets stay well clear.

As you would expect, sea lions are excellent divers and spend the majority of their time at sea feeding close to the seabed in depths that can exceed 300m.

Their feeding is opportunistic, with fish, sharks, squid, octopus, cuttlefish, lobster and even occasionally birds and turtles being included in their diet.

They can feed for many days on end and may travel hundreds of kilometres at a time leaving them in need of a rest on land whenever possible.

Over the years Koombana Bay has proven to be one of these popular resting areas, especially for the males who travel throughout the South West region in search of new territories and more importantly, available females.

As a mature male, Sammy may well be preparing himself for the long migration north or south to one of the few isolated breeding areas where the females may be in waiting.

Unlike other seal species which breed annually, Australian sea lions breed every 17.5 months and do so at different times between the breeding colonies so timing is everything.

Once he arrives at the breeding site he will not only need to impress the girls, but also try and out dominate other males equally keen to find love, so this period of preparation is critically important for Sammy to build strength and conditioning.

Equally important is the need for Sammy and his population to successfully breed knowing the Australian sea lion has struggled to recover from near extinction not too long ago.

Incredibly, these fascinating creatures are the rarest sea lion species in the world with the majority of their population wiped out due to uncontrolled hunting for their meat and leather during the 19th and early 20th century.

Although they have started to recover with an estimated population of 15,000 animals existing along the West Australia and South Australia coastlines, wildlife researchers are concerned the numbers of sea lions have not increased significantly in recent years.

For this reason they remain listed as endangered and declining on the IUCN Red List and listed as vulnerable under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Should anyone come across a sea lion or any of his relatives it would be very advisable to keep your distance and respect the fact they are there for a reason.

Most importantly, make sure you call the DBCA Wild Care Helpline on 9474 9055 and let them know where the animal is and what its condition may be.

A Marine Wildlife of Southern WA Identification Guide is also available for download to help you make an accurate identification of the gender and species.

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