California and Xxxxxxx Sea Lions. California sea lion and Xxxxxxx sea lion numbers vary seasonally in Oregon and Washington. Xxxxxxx sea lions are resident with concentrations found on offshore rocks and islands on the outer coast and smaller numbers found in the Salish Sea. In the Pacific Northwest, Xxxxxxx sea lions breed in Southern Oregon and off the coast of British Columbia during the summer and numbers at regular haulout sites tend to decline during the breeding season except at breeding rookeries. Haulout sites can be found throughout the Pacific Northwest on jetties, offshore rocks, and coastal islands. If sea lions are oiled, the decision to capture or intervene will need to consider factors like sex, age, reproductive state, size of an individual animal, and location in respect to other marine mammals. Intervention on free swimming sea lions will not be initiated unless the animal in question is in obvious stress and capture is feasible. The capture and rehabilitation of large sea lions present significant challenges and should only be attempted if the animals are heavily oiled or showing obvious behavioral signs of impairment from the oiling. Adult pinnipeds that are capable of avoiding capture by rapidly entering the sea should generally not be captured (Xxxxx and St. Xxxxx 1995). Their larger surface to volume ratio and generally abundant quantity of blubber that offers both insulation and significant calorie reserves gives these animals greater resistance to thermoregulatory problems when oiled (as compared to fur seals and otters) and consequently more energy reserves to rely on while convalescing. This may allow oiled animal to survive until natural processes such as water movement and molting remove the oil.
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Samples: Northwest Wildlife Response Plan, Northwest Wildlife Response Plan, Northwest Wildlife Response Plan
