Go See (and Hear!) Newport’s Sea Lions

Sponsored by Newport, Oregon

I can barely hear Bob Ward and Stan Pickens, co-chairs of the Newport Sea Lion Docks Foundation, over the thunderous barking, howling and moaning. Are we in a haunted house? A dog kennel? No, it’s a warm, blue-sky fall morning in Newport, Ore., and we’re checking in with the rowdy sea lions that haul out on the bayfront’s sea lion docks, just behind Port Dock One restaurant near the Undersea Gardens. The docks, recently replaced thanks to the fundraising efforts of the foundation, are one of the premier attractions in this attraction-rich town.

Ward speaks over the din, explaining, “This is the quintessential Newport experience. The sea lions are really the face of Newport.”

And what faces they are: furry, toothy, whiskered, doe-eyed, dog-like, expressive. There are about 35 of them here this morning, a small crowd compared to many days. Their rough-housing is fascinating to watch as they battle for space on the docks, flop on top of each other in giant dog piles, and perform ballet in the nearby waters, as graceful in the water as they are ungainly on the docks.

California sea lions are native to Oregon waters, and have likely always been here in Yaquina Bay. “They’re attracted to the bay by their food source,” says Jim Rice, marine mammal stranding coordinator at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, which is directly across the bay from the docks. “I suspect the sea lions have always used Yaquina Bay, as the prey have always been here. The haul-outs are a bonus.” That prey is generally fish, ranging from herring to hake to salmon.

All of the sea lions out here in Newport are males (the ones with the jutting foreheads are the older, more mature guys). The females stay in Southern California at their breeding grounds, and the males head down there once a year at breeding season, leaving for four to five weeks in June-July. The rest of the year they stay up north where the food is more abundant, while the females raise the pups in the warmer southern latitudes. Unlike their cousins, the Stellar sea lions, these California sea lions are part of a robust population, and not endangered.

The sea lions have hauled out on these particular docks since they were put in place for visiting recreational boats about 20 years ago, according to Ward. They have become a major tourist draw, bringing visitors from far and near. Pickens, who also owns Bayscapes Gallery near the sea lion docks, says the impact on bayfront tourism is immense. “About 300,000 people a year come to see the sea lions,” he says. “And now we’re getting a second generation: people who came and saw them as kids are now bringing their own kids.”

The docks began disintegrating in a major storm in the winter of 2012-13, cutting down space for the animals significantly. Ward, a retired engineer, and Pickens began discussing what could be done to replace the floating platforms. They ultimately formed the Newport Sea Lion Docks Foundation which secured funding for the new docks, including nearly $20,000 collected in a donation box at the site from thousands of visitors who want to ensure that they can always come back and see the sea lions.

To find the sea lions, you need only to follow your ears to Port Dock One at 325 SW Bay Blvd. Make sure to bring your camera, and remember to tuck some change into the donation box. The Sea Lion Docks Foundation will continue to manage a fund for maintenance of the docks and educational materials about the mammals.

“The sea lions are part of the richness of the bayfront,” Ward says. “It’s an extremely interesting, diverse, complex area, different from anywhere else on the West Coast.”

The sea lions seem to bark their approval.