Sea Lion Beach Webcam – Watch Steller Sea Lions Haul Out

The Sea Lion Beach Webcam looks out over a rocky haul-out on Hanson Island, off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, where Steller sea lions climb out of Blackfish Sound to rest, bark and jostle for space. OrcaLab, the whale research station on the island, operates the camera remotely and streams it with explore.org. From mid-September the colony gathers on flat, fissured rock at the water’s edge, and a close-up can fill the frame with tawny bodies piled together while one animal rears up, head thrown back, to roar. The stream runs around the clock, so the rocks stay on screen in the months the sea lions spend elsewhere. Fog can erase the view completely, as it did on the October morning this post was written.

About Sea Lion Beach on Hanson Island

Hanson Island sits where two well-known whale channels meet. Blackfish Sound runs along its north shore, with Swanson Island beyond it, and the westernmost reach of Johnstone Strait lies to the south. The island is named for James Hanson, who served on HMS Chatham in 1792 and later that year took command of HMS Daedalus, the supply ship of George Vancouver’s expedition. Explore.org calls the rocks on camera a favorite haul-out, a place on land where sea lions gather between spells in the water to rest, socialize and stay clear of predators.

The camera belongs to OrcaLab, a land-based research station that Dr. Paul Spong founded on the island in 1970. Its rule is research without interference: instead of following whales by boat, the lab listens through a hydrophone network that grew to cover about 50 square kilometers (19 square miles) of ocean, later recognized as critical habitat for the Northern Resident orcas. OrcaLab sits on Blackney Pass, about 3 kilometers (2 miles) across the water from Telegraph Cove, and runs three year-round and five seasonal cameras from the lab.

The animals on the rocks are Steller sea lions, the largest sea lions in the world. They range across the North Pacific from Japan to California, and in British Columbia many spend the winter in the waters north of Hanson Island, feeding on fish, octopus and squid. Unlike seals, they have small visible ear flaps, and they are loud, so explore.org suggests keeping the sound on for their barks and roars.

Weather and Climate on Hanson Island

The nearest station figures come from Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, about 8 kilometers (5 miles) west of OrcaLab, and they describe a mild, wet oceanic climate. January averages a high of 5.4 C (42 F) and a low of 1.5 C (35 F), so the winter haul-out season is gray and raw rather than frozen. April highs reach about 11 C (52 F). August is the warmest month at about 18 C (65 F) by day and 10 C (51 F) at night, and October falls back to highs near 12 C (53 F). Alert Bay gets about 1,592 millimeters (62.7 inches) of precipitation a year, and summers are much drier than winters.

The sea lion season lines up with the darkest and wettest part of the year. At 50.6 degrees north, daylight shrinks to about 8 hours at the December solstice, against roughly 16 and a half hours in late June, so winter watching is a midday affair. Rain, low cloud and sea fog can soften or hide the rocks, though explore.org notes the spot catches a fine sunset on any day of the year.

Things to Do Near Hanson Island

Telegraph Cove, on the Vancouver Island shore opposite OrcaLab, is the usual starting point for this stretch of water. The village grew from a one-room telegraph station built in 1911 and 1912, later added a salmon saltery and a sawmill, and is now a boardwalk resort. Its harbor is the base for whale-watching boats and guided kayak tours into Johnstone Strait, where orcas, humpbacks, sea lions, dolphins and sea otters all turn up.

About 10 kilometers (6 miles) southeast of Telegraph Cove, the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve protects the beaches where Northern Resident orcas come each summer to rub on the pebbles and gravel. It is legally designated critical habitat, and boaters are expected to stay out. To the west, BC Ferries sails from Port McNeill to Alert Bay, home of the U’mista Cultural Centre, whose collection includes potlatch artifacts confiscated in 1921 and won back after long negotiations in the 1970s and 1980s.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Polar bears in Manitoba, gray seals in Maine and another stretch of the Vancouver Island coast:

• Cape Churchill Webcam
• Seal Island Webcam
• Departure Bay Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Sea Lion Beach located?

On Hanson Island in British Columbia, Canada, between Blackfish Sound and the western end of Johnstone Strait, off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. OrcaLab is about 3 kilometers (2 miles) across the water from Telegraph Cove.

What can you see on the Sea Lion Beach Webcam?

A rocky shore with open water beyond it. From mid-September Steller sea lions crowd onto the flat, cracked rock to sleep, jostle and roar, and close-ups show their spotted tawny coats. At other times the camera looks out across the calm channel to low, forested islands. Out of season the rocks, rock pools and water are often all there is.

When are sea lions at Hanson Island?

Explore.org says they start gathering in mid-September, and OrcaLab lists September to March as the months to see them hauled out. Outside that window the rocks can be empty and the channels turn to whales: humpbacks are around from April to October.

How big are Steller sea lions?

Explore.org puts their length at about 2.1 to 3 meters (7 to 10 feet), with females weighing around 270 kilograms (600 pounds) and the biggest males well over 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds).

Who operates the Sea Lion Beach Webcam?

OrcaLab, the whale research station Dr. Paul Spong founded on Hanson Island in 1970, operates it remotely from the lab and streams it through a partnership with explore.org.

Can you watch orcas from the OrcaLab cameras?

Yes. The second tab carries OrcaLab’s main lookout stream, which the lab’s team switches between OrcaLab Base, Sea Lion Rock, Parson Island and Cracroft Point. Bigg’s orcas can pass at any time of year, and the Northern Residents are most likely from July to September.

What is the weather like on Hanson Island?

Mild and wet. Nearby Alert Bay averages a January high of 5.4 C (42 F) and an August high of about 18 C (65 F), with most of its rain outside summer.

Why are there no sea lions on the Sea Lion Beach Webcam right now?

Usually it is the season or the hour. The colony uses the rocks from about mid-September to March, and even in season the animals leave to fish. At night the picture goes dark, and sea fog can white out the frame. The stream runs around the clock, so the view returns on its own.

Source: OrcaLab via explore.org