Peter Kearney has lived in his Bowen Island home for more than 20 years and has recently been seeing sea lions climbing onto his neighbour’s dock.
Although he’s spotted California sea lions in the spring, the recent sighting marks his first time seeing them on the docks this winter.
“They bark all during the night,” Kearney said. “We happen to enjoy it, it’s kind of like the guys serenading you, but I can see how some people don’t.”
The barking of seal lions may be a nuisance to residents with waterfront properties on the island — located in Howe Sound just off B.C.’s Lower Mainland — but it’s music to the ears of Bob Turner, the island’s former mayor, a retired scientist and a member of the Bowen Island Conservancy.
Sea lions making an appearance on Bowen Island are putting on quite a show. They often bark and wail at night, keeping residents awake. For some, their appearance is a positive sign of a healthy environment, but the sentiments of those living near the water aren’t as kind.
He says the presence of the marine mammals is a positive sign for the ecosystem.
“We’ve colloquially called it the Great Howe Sound Recovery,” Turner said.
He says sea lions, the vast majority of which are California sea lions, have become more abundant in the area over the last decade or so as they have found more to feed on.
“Anchovy are the new kid on the block,” he said. “They’re the warm water cousin of herring. About 2015, we realized they were starting to spawn in Howe Sound and ever since then, their numbers have gone up. And so we watch the sea lions feed just offshore.”
He says industrial pollution in Howe Sound over the past decade has decreased and marine life, such as seals, orcas and humpback whales, are returning to the area.
Turner notes that some waterfront residents have blocked off their docks with fencing in an effort to keep the marine mammals away.
He says he’s unsure why sea lions bark, but has watched keenly to try to understand their behaviours. He’s noticed they sit quietly on a raft or dock until another sea lion wants to join them.
“The whole place erupts and it takes 10 minutes for the things to quiet down,” Turner said. “They will do this all night.”
According to the Vancouver Aquarium, California sea lions communicate through barking and other sounds.
The creatures are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, which means it’s difficult for residents to address all the ruckus, Turner says.
But not everyone minds.
Like Turner, Kearney sees the presence of sea lions as a good sign.
“I think it’s a reflection that what these guys feed on, there’s lots of it around because if there wasn’t, they wouldn’t be here,” he said.