(photo: B. Hooton)
Meet Ralph. He’s our resident stuffed Steller Sea Lion and general pinniped ambassador. Facing off with this giant beast is just one of the many experiences that await tour visitors at Moss Landing Marine Labs. Steller sea lions are largest of the eared seals (check out Ralph’s little ears), and while they typically live along the shores of Alaska and British Columbia, their range extends down to Año Nuevo in California. Males can weigh as much as one ton! But don’t worry, you can get a closeup look at Ralph without fear – it takes a lot to perturb him these days.
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I loved seeing the photo of Ralph! I’ve written a children’s picture book, ASTRO THE STELLER SEA LION, and whenever I do school visits, I always unwind a ribbon (with a student volunteer, of course) to show how big Steller sea lions are. They love it! And, we also discuss how small their ears are. He was actually stranded as a newborn pup on the Ano Nuevo Islands, just as you mentioned, and rescued by the Sausalito based Marine Mammal Center. He attached to people and kept returning to places with people, including a school walk-a-thon, so he now lives at the wonderful Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. I’ll have to come visit Ralph sometime at the Moss Landing Marine Labs.
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Hi Jeanne, thanks for sharing! That’s a great story – the size of Ralph always takes tour visitors by surprise! You should definitely come visit him and our lab – our Open House is coming up on April 30 and May 1!
Thanks for the comment,
Erin
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