Sea Lion Caves

North of Florence, Oregon, are the Sea Lion Caves, billed as the world's largest sea cave.

Hundreds of Stellar Sea Lions gather in this natural shelter to avoid predators and nurture their offspring. The caves have been open to the public as a private business since the 1930s, and the owners are vigilant in protecting and championing the sea lions. After passing through the gift shop, you'll have a brief outdoor walk to the elevator, opened to the public in 1962. Before that, visitors had to descend by walkway that wound down the cliffside. To the south, you'll see in the distance the Oregon dunes.

And, to the north, you will see Heceta Lighthouse, said to be the most photographed lighthouse in the world. (The lighthouse was not open for tours just now.)

I didn't mention the amazing smell that was apparent before we even entered the gift shop atop the cliff, and it only intensified when we stepped out of the elevator some 200 feet underground; it was not a pleasant smell. I suppose the smell was a natural outcome of hundreds of huge sea mammals, if you know what I mean. The noise was deafening, as the Stellar Sea Lion makes a kind of roaring bawl, and the sound echoed through the cave. We were asked to be quiet so as not to disturb them, but our shufflings and comments were no match for their roars and the crash of the ocean waves that continuously churned the waters of the cave. The sea lion cave itself could be viewed through bars.

Found from California to the Bering Sea, the Stellar Sea Lion normally congregates on offshore rocks; this is its only mainland rookery. The base of the cave is about 2 acres in size, and it rises about 125 feet in height.

 They live on fish they catch, primarily bottom fish. They are prey for the large whales that swim offshore.

Here's a skeleton that is on display. Unlike seals, they can bend their rear flippers forward and use them for walking. You can clearly see this in the skeleton's position.

Males, the strong ones at least, have harems of 10-20 cows. Males weigh around 1200-1500 pounds, although they can be much larger, and females average 500-700 pounds; a newborn will weigh 40-50 pounds. Sea lion lifespan is about 20 years.

Although they shelter in the cave in winter and inclement weather, they also like to lie on the rocks at the foot of the cliff. Today most of them were inside, but a hardy few braved the intermittent rain.

The opening to the cave is inconspicuous from outside. If you look carefully, you may see a couple sea lions swimming near the entrance.

If you happen to be traveling by RV, there is RV parking in the parking lot directly across the highway. We spotted this motorhome parked there.

Look carefully at the license plate; it is from Switzerland. We were behind the family, parents and two children, at the ticket counter; they were indeed Swiss. Hmm, if we ever run out of things to see on this continent.....