Sea Lion
Caves
11 miles
North of Florence
Highway 101,
OR
September 16th, 1998
Having passed
from Washington into Oregon along the famed Highway 101, we came
upon one of those natural phenomenon that are worth checking out.
On a summer day in 1880, an inquisitive Captain William Cox
piloted his boat through the cave's western entrance and found
himself in one of the largest sea caves in the world. When daylight
penetrated the north, south and west entrances, Cox must have
gazed in wonder at the flooded two acre floor of the cave and the
rock ceiling, 12 stories (125 feet) above. When arriving, the main
parking lot is small, but there is ample parking cut out of the
rocks on the other side of the street. The tour starts at the
main building and gift shop, and includes some stairs and an
inclined scenic pathway which takes you to the elevator The
elevator carries you down 208 feet into the extraordinary sea
cave. For the most part, sea lions move into the cave for
protection against weather and rough seas during fall and winter. In spring and
summer they may be found on the rock ledges, just outside, where
breeding and birthing take place. On the ledges, the best
territories are held by the most powerful bulls, and a bull may
take charge of 20 to 30 cows during the breeding season. Thus
genes that pass to the next generation emphasize size and
strength. Bulls weigh 500 to 700 pounds and they bark like dogs.
They can be trained as
skilled performers and are known as circus seals. Each year Seal
Lion Caves is a refuge for California Sea Lion bulls which arrive
in late summer to winter here. Bulls have massive shoulders and
manes of coarse hair around the neck. During a 20 to 24 year
life, they average 1500 lbs., but may weigh more than a ton. Cows
weigh 500 to 700 lbs. Pups are 40 to 50 lbs. at birth and are
slate gray. Sea lions feed almost exclusively on bottom fish.
Powerful swimmers, the strongest of the bulls swim as far as 4000
miles to winter off the coast of Alaska. Returning in late spring
for the breeding season, they rejoin the rest of the herd which
has remained here.
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