Northern Sea Lion
Eumetopias jubatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnívors)
- FamilyOtariidae (Eared Seals)
- GenusEumetopias (Steller Sea Lions)
- SpeciesEumetopias jubatus (Northern Sea Lion)
The Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), also known as Steller's sea lion or the northern sea lion, is a large, near-threatened species of sea lion, predominantly found in the coastal marine habitats of the northeast Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Northwest regions of North America, from north-central California to Oregon, Washington and British Columbia to Alaska. Its range continues across the Northern Pacific and the Aleutian Islands, all the way to Kamchatka, Magadan Oblast, and the Sea of Okhotsk, south to Honshu's northern coastline. It is the sole member of the genus Eumetopias, and the largest of the so-called eared seals (Otariidae). Among pinnipeds, only the walrus and the two species of elephant seal are bigger. The species is named for the naturalist and explorer Georg Wilhelm Steller, who first described them in 1741. Steller sea lions have attracted considerable attention in recent decades, both from scientists and the general public, due to significant (and largely unexplained) declines in their numbers over an extensive portion of their northern range, notably in Alaska. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Sea Lion sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 256 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Great Bear Rainforest
California Sea Lion
Zalophus californianus
Northern Fur Seal
Callorhinus ursinus
Juan Fernández Fur Seal
Arctocephalus philippii
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
Sea Otter
Enhydra lutris
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
Northern River Otter
Lontra canadensis
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Coastal Marten
Martes caurina
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Sea Lion in Great Bear Rainforest?
About 26% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Sea Lion sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 256 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern Sea Lion in Great Bear Rainforest?
September has the highest sighting rate for Northern Sea Lion in Great Bear Rainforest in our monthly data.