Lucy the Harbor Seal is a regular at Clipper Yacht Harbor. Captain Perry of Sea Turtle Fishing Charters says, "Lucy is always a hit with the customers." Even though Lucy is wild, she is being hand fed by Joe, a regular customer of Captain Perry.
Aspects particular to California
The California population of subspecies richardsi amounted to approximately 25,000 individuals as of the year 1984. Pacific harbor seals or Californian harbor seals are found along the entire Pacific coast shoreline of the state. They prefer to remain relatively close to shore in sub-tidal and intertidal zones, and have not been seen beyond the Channel Islands as a pelagic form; moreover, they will often venture into bays and estuaries and even swim up coastal rivers.
Frequently they will haul out in small to medium sized groups onto rock outcrops, mudflats, sandy beaches or even fishing piers. Some of the best locations for viewing Harbor Seals up close are at Children's Pool Beach in La Jolla, Cannery Row in Monterey, Moss Landing on Monterey Bay or at Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County. They feed in shallow littoral waters on herring, flounder, hake, anchovy, codfish and sculpin (Newby, 1978).
In California breeding occurs from March to May, and pupping between April and May depending on local populations. There is no indication this species has territorial characteristics in water, and it definitely displays none on land. As top level feeders in the kelp forest, Harbor Seals enhance species diversity and productivity. They are preyed upon by the apex predator, the Great white shark.
Considerable scientific inquiry has been carried out by The Marine Mammal Center and other research organizations beginning in the 1980s regarding the incidence and transmission of diseases in Harbor seals in the wild, including analysis of phocine herpesvirus (Goldstein, 2004). In the San Francisco Bay, some harbor seals are fully or partially reddish in color. This may be caused by an accumulation of trace elements such as iron or selenium in the ocean or a change in the hair follicle.
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Join Captain Perry Kerson of Sea Turtle Sport Fishing 6 pack trips focusing on catching world class sport fish in and around the waters of the Golden Gate including the Marin County Coast, San Mateo County, the Gulf of the Farallones, and San Francisco Bay. The Sea Turtle fishes out of the Clipper Yacht Harbor — Sausalito, CA
Are you planning a vacation to California? Looking for a better way to fish the more than 1000 lakes throughout this state? You'll find everything you need to know inside The Complete Guide to California Fishing! Click here to download the 30 page the 100% FREE eBook "Fishing in California."
If you prefer a real book, this book can be bought as a paperback from LuLu.com for $10.93.
Categories:
Clipper Yacht Harbor, Harbor Seal, San Francisco Bay, Sea Turtle Sport Fishing
Tags:
apex predator, bolinas lagoon, california breeding, cannery row, captain perry, Clipper Yacht Harbor, coastal rivers, entire pacific, fishing piers, great white shark, harbor seals, intertidal zones, kelp forest, littoral waters, marine mammal, marine mammal center, monterey bay, moss landing, pacific harbor seals, sea turtle
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