Steller sea lions in winter

 

There are three rookeries in the coastal strip of Avacha Bay: on the piers of Mokhovaya Bay; in the seaport - on the shore of Petropavlovsky Dipper Bay; on Cape Chavycha (Cape Seroglazka) - near the treatment facilities, where most of the wintering animals rest. In January-February, the number of observed Steller sea lions reached 140 individuals. Injured animals are still found at the rookeries. Thus, this year, 4 individuals with “collars” made of net materials were recorded at Cape Chavycha, and animals with deep wounds in the neck and back were also encountered.

 

As the head of the marine mammal laboratory, Sergei Kornev, said, this winter in Kamchatka is mild and relatively warm, so the departure of sea lions from “city rookeries” this year is predicted to be one or two weeks earlier than usual, that is, until mid-April, the endangered animals can still be found in the city waters.

 

“Unorganized tourists are often too intrusive in their attempts to photograph the animals and come too close to the animals, launch drones, try to feed them, all this forces the sea lions to leave the rookeries,” says Sergei Ivanovich, or at Cape Chavycha, tourists on SUPs come too close to the rookery, create panic among the animals, the sea lions go into the water en masse, and a crush begins. This can lead to injury and even death of young animals. We conduct the counting and photographing of sea lions at a sufficient distance, behind a fence, so as not to disturb the animals."

 

Press service of VNIRO