by Angela Szesciorka, Vertebrate Ecology Lab
In March the MS211 class (Ecology of Marine Turtles, Birds and Mammals) climbed onto a small inflatable boat, pointed offshore, and ran a half mile obstacle course through rocks, waves, and seals to Año Nuevo Island.
This tiny boat (named Dragon Rojo!) carried us to the island. About an eight-minute boat ride though, so not bad. Photo from Oikonos.org.
(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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