Attendance patterns of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and their young during winter

Abstract

Winter attendance patterns of lactating Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus and their offspring were recorded during the late stages of nursing when the young were expected to move from milk to independent foraging. Trip duration and nursing visits to shore by 24 mothers with pups (7–9 months old) and six mothers with yearlings (19–21 months old) were noted during 600 h of observations (from 22 January to 1 April 1996) at a non-breeding haulout site in south-eastern Alaska. Pups and yearlings tended to stay on or near the haulout while their mothers were away and showed no signs of weaning during winter. Their average trips to sea were 43% shorter in duration than those of lactating females, suggesting that pups and yearlings make independent trips away from the haulout while their mothers forage. The winter attendance cycle of lactating females (consisting of one trip to sea and one visit on land) averaged about 3 days, with the mothers of pups spending an average of 15 h of this time onshore with their offspring. The winter attendance cycle of pups and yearlings averaged just over 2 days, with the immature sea lions spending an average of 22 h on shore. Foraging trips by mothers of yearlings were significantly longer than those by mothers of pups. However, there was no significant difference in the foraging times of mothers of male and female pups. Lactating females spent more time at sea during winter than during summer. The probability of sighting an individual on the winter haulout during daylight hours was 15% for lactating females and 40% for immature animals.