1764 JOURNAL FISI{ERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA, VOL. 29, NO. 12, 1972

Gar-nnarrn, M. G. 1967. Size-selective predation onDaphnia by rainbow trout and yellow perch. Trans.Amer. Fish. Soc. 96: 1-10.

HanrmaN, G. F. 1958. Mouth size and food size inyoung rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri. Copeia 1958:zJ)-zt+.

Husss, C. L., .a,No K. F. L.qcrrn. 1958. Fishes of theGreat Lakes region. Univ. Michigan Press, AnnArbor, Mich. 213 p.

HurcHrNsoN, B. P. 1971. The effect of fish predationon the zooplankton of ten Adirondack Lakes, withparticular reference to the alewife, Alosa pseudoharen'gzs. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 100: 325-335.

Nontrcorr, T. G. 1954. Observations on the com-parative ecology of two species of flsh, Cottus asperand Cottus rhotheus, in British Columbia. Copeia1954:. 25-28.

Rrrr, C. B., lxro D. W. Tnppe. 1966' Selective pre'dation: smelt and cladocerans in Harveys Lake.Limnol. Oceanogr. ll: 437438.

Wano, F. J., B. WoNc, awo G. G. C. RosrNsoN. 1970.A liquid scintillation procedure for determining theeffect of size on self-absorption of 1aC in Daphniapulex. Limnol. Oceanogr. 15: 648-652.

Wnr-r-s, L. 1970. Effects of alewife predation onzooplankton populations in Lake Michigan. Limnol'Oceanogr. 15: 55G565.

WoNc, B. MS 1972. Growth, feeding and distribu-tion of ye1low perch fry, Perca fluviatilis flavescens(Mitchill), during their first summer in West BlueLake. M.Sc. Thesis, Univ. Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man'45 p.

Sea Lions Wintering Along the Outer Coast of Vancouver Island

I.q,N D. SN{trH

Department of Recreation and ConservationFish and Wildlife Branch, Nanaimo, B.C.

Svrlr, I. D. 1972. Sea lions wintering along the outer coast of Vancouver Island. J.Fish. Res. Bd. Canada 29: 1764-1766.

Aerial counts conducted on the north and west coasts of Vancouver Island during fourperiods in the 1970-71 winter indicated that more than 1980 sea lions used a total of 15 haul-out areas. Evidence is presented indicating that many winter haul-out areas are often desertedin summer.

Srurlr, I. D. 1972. Sea lions wintering along the olrter coast of Vancouver Island. J.Fish. Res. Bd. Canada 29:1764-1766.

Des recensements a6riens effectu6s sur les c6tes nord et ouest de I'ile Vancouver d quatre

$poques au cours de I'hiver 1970-:71 r6vdlent que plus de 1980 otaries se r6unissent d terre en15 endroits diffdrents, L'auteur d6montre que plusieurs aires occup6es en hiver sont souventddsertes en 6t6.

Received April 4, 1972

Tnrs note presents the results of aerial counts of sea (Eumetopias jubatus), although some ,may have

lions along the north and west coasts of Vancouver been California sea lions (Zalophus californianus),

Island duiing the winter and early spring of 1970- which have been reported south of the 49]h parallel

Tl.Althoughanumberofreportshavebeenmadeof in Barkley Sound and at Race Rocks (Cowan and

summer concentrations along the British Columbia Guiguet 1965; Hancock 1970).

coast (Newcombe and Newcombe 1914; Newcombe Pike and Maxwell (1958) reported summer haul-

et al. 1918; Wailes and Newcombe L929; Pike and out areas offthe northern tip of Vancouver Island,

Maxwell 1958; Pike and MacAskie 1969), there Solander Island, and Cape Cook; and the west

has beon no previous attempt to describe the coast of Vancouver Island south of Cape Cook'

winter distribution of the colonies. While their account was not speclfic on this point, I

Because of size and coloration. I believe that the know of no haul-out area on Cape Cook and thus

majority of animals counted were Steller's sea lions suspeci that they were referring to a large number of

sea lions which inhabit rocks just to the south ofpr-inted in Can:ada (J2489) Cape Cook, in Checleset Bay. Sea lions are also com-

J. F

ish.

Res

. Bd.

Can

. Dow

nloa

ded

from

ww

w.n

rcre

sear

chpr

ess.

com

by

ME

MO

RIA

L U

NIV

OF

NE

WFO

UN

DL

AN

D o

n 08

/02/

13Fo

r pe

rson

al u

se o

nly.

1765NOTES

monly known to occur off Long Beach in summer, areas (Sombrio Point, Rafael Point, and Ferrerand I have observed 5-10 sea lions at Carmanah Point) had not been previously reported.Point in late August. Gordon Smith of the British The estimate of more than 1910 sea lions wasColumbia Fish and Wildlife Branch has told me derived by totalling the largest count recorded atof seeing concentrations of sea lions in summer at each haul-out area., on the assumption that Van-Folger Island while Wayne Campbell, curator of couver Island sea lions are site-specific aside fromthe vertebrate museum of the University of British periods of migration. If so, the liarge variations inColumbia, has seen sea lions at both Cleland and numbers of sea lions observed at given locationsWouwer islands in summer. However, all three of must have been due to animals being at sea ratherthese islands are often deserted during the summer than animals shifting to other colonies.months. Because of adverse weather and crowding of the

No other summer haul-out locations have been animals, and because some sea lions usually dovereported. into the water before adequate photographic

The counts reported here resulted from four coverage. was.obtained, the counts in most casesflights which were made over various parts of ine underestimated, the actual numbers of animalscoast. It was impossible to cover all seclions of the which occurred at the various colonies, althoughcoast in a single flight since the census *u,

"o.r- the degre€ of .error was not believed serious. Only

ducted in conJuncti'on with other activiti"r. if.," at four locations (Pachena Point, Folger Island,flights were a"rig".i io cover the haul-out areai and Wouwer Island on November 27, and Solandernoted above, plus other likely unknown haul-oui Island. on February 20) were the recorded totalsareas along the outer coastline. Iikely to be seriously in error, as indicated by Table

Au results were based upon 35-mm coror slides irffii,|liffill $l'#"fi ilT"1i11",#3}:Jttftttaken from a height of 300 ft or less, with rhe ;ui'^bi;;;ruu iion, *"r" observed leaving the haul_exception of the area between Race Rocks and paena point, which was not photographed during;f; "ifJ?ffi:fi,l1$:irff*1*"r,ff;ilility thatNovember 27 flighl sea lions were absent from some normal haul-out_ n"tltlt of the flights (Table l) indicated that more areas during the flights, and that, despite attempts

than 1980 sea lions used 15 haul-out areas (Fig. 1) to cover atf ttety haul-out locations, it is possiblealong the north and west coasts of Vancouver Island that concentrations of sea lions were missed induring the winter of 1970-11. Three of the haul-out some areas.

Taslr 1. Aerial counts of sea Iions along the north and west coast of vancouverIsland during the winter and early spring of rgTo-71. only counts marked withasterisk represent possible serious underestimates.

Counts during census period

Location Nov. 27 Feb. 18-20 Mar. 8 Mar. 31 Largest count

Race RocksSombrio Pt.Carmanah Pt.Pachena Pt.Folger Is.Wouwer Is.Long BeachCleland Is.Rafael Pt.Ferrer Pt.Checleset BaySolander Is.Beresford Is.Sartine Is.Triangle Is.

Total

50-8050-80

2100+ *51

200+)t ' t J-

94+250+1 5 130588949'l

a a r I

1980+

50-8050-80

2100+ *40+ *40+*

00

5 1200+n a 1 |

94+250+1 5 1)AA-L

35+ *3058B

9497

221+

412+512+* 1 ) \ ) - L J Y )J. F

ish.

Res

. Bd.

Can

. Dow

nloa

ded

from

ww

w.n

rcre

sear

chpr

ess.

com

by

ME

MO

RIA

L U

NIV

OF

NE

WFO

UN

DL

AN

D o

n 08

/02/

13Fo

r pe

rson

al u

se o

nly.

51" ,Trian9la lS./-/ 'Sorline I\ta:(-- -{1'

r 2 5 . 1 2 4 "

2 0 c ^ 2 0 4 0 6 0 8 0#

S C A L E - m i l 6 s

123"

5o'

I\8o.yChcc lasel

,{ouuerFolg arPocheno Pl.

Cormonoh

1766

The counts indicated that all major summer haul-out areas were occupied in the winter of 1970-71,presuming that the reference by Pike and Maxwellto Cape Cook actually refers to the Checleset Baycolony just south of Cape Cook. However, there arestrong implications that the converse is not true.Hancock (1970) reports that California and Steller'ssea lions occupy the Race Rocks site only from lateOctober until late May, and it is commonly knownthat the Pachena Point sea lions may usually beobserved only from mid-September until earlyMay. As described above, other winter haul-outareas such as Folger Island are also commonlyreported to be deserted in the summer months,although animals appear to occupy them sporadi-cally.

Acknowledgments -l wish to thank the followingpeople for their kind assistance in the preparation ofthis note: M. Bigg and I. MacAskie of the FisheriesResearch Board; J. Bandy and G. Smith of the BritishColumbia Fish and Wildlife Branch; D. Hatler and W.Campbell of the University of British Columbia; and T.Anderson of the Department of Transport. The countswere conducted in conjunction with other activities

JOTIRNAL FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA' YOL. 29, NO, 12, 1972

Frc. l. Fifteen haul-out areas along the north and west coasts of VancouverIsland used by more than 1980 sea lions during the winter of 1970-71.

financed by the British Columbia Fish and WildlifeBranch.

Cow.rN, I. M., .lNo C. J. Gurcusr. 1965. The mam'mals of British Columbia. Brit. Columbia Prov.Mus. Natur. Hist. Anthropol. Handb. ll: 347-351.

HaNcocr. D. 1970. California sea lion as a regularwinter visitant off the British Columbia coast. J.Mammalogy 5l: 614.

NrwcoMsn, C. F., W. H. GnnnNwooo, aNo C. M.Fn,lsrn. 1918. Preliminary report of the com-mission on the sea lion question, 1915. Contrib.Can. Biol. 1917-1918: 5-52'

Nrwcounn, C. F., aNo W. A. NEwcoNles. 1914.Sea lions on the coast of British Columbia. Annu.Rep. Brit. Columbia Commer. Fish' (1913): 131-145'

PrrB, G. C., axo I. B. MecAsrrr. 1969. Marinemammals of British Columbia. Fish. Res. BoardCan. 8u11. 171: 4142.

Pmn, G. C., aNo B. E. Maxwrrr. 1958' The abun-dance and distribution of the northern sea lion,Eumetopias jubata, on the coast of British Columbia.J. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada 15: 5-17.

WArLEs, G. H., l.No W. A. Nlwcovnn. 1929. SeaIions. Art Hist. Sci. Assoc., Vancouver, B.C. Mus.Art Notes 4; l-10.

J. F

ish.

Res

. Bd.

Can

. Dow

nloa

ded

from

ww

w.n

rcre

sear

chpr

ess.

com

by

ME

MO

RIA

L U

NIV

OF

NE

WFO

UN

DL

AN

D o

n 08

/02/

13Fo

r pe

rson

al u

se o

nly.