I ran into a Sea Lion at the river 50 miles upstream from the ocean.

[Your Salad]

How far from a hydropower dam were you?

I have heard of sea lions traveling quite far up river to find dams. It's easier for them to find fish there.

The first dam would the Nimbus Dam. I guess it would be about 3 miles upriver from where I saw it. I didnt know it was hydroelectric untill I read your post and looked it up. I alwayse thought it was a flood controll dam. The next dam is a very large hydroelectric dam called Folsom Dam. Right next to where Jonny Cash recorded his infamous live at Folsom Prison record.
The more I have looked this topic up the more I learned Sea Lions don't give a single fuck and they will exploit every angle afforded to them.
If they want to live in freshwater for indeterminant periods of time they're going to do it.

 

[StonedLemur]

100% it is an incredible experience. It isn’t the easiest place to access so it probably won’t be for a while but I loved every second of the first trip there… that bar was set pretty high for me though the first time so it would be hard to replicate.

Yeah you really can't duplicate that first experience, but you can make a new experience.
Your son being older will change what you can do too, so that's going to add to it.

I imagine seeing him as a little boy having that experience will always be special to you, and that alone can't/won't be topped.

I would love to see that place though, I have seen so many documentaries about it sir.

 

[GolovKing]

Has anyone seen a Stellar Sea Lion . Males can weigh up to 1000 pounds

Males can weigh up to 2500 lbs, maybe you are thinking of females. Sea lions can be aggressive and are very powerful. This one here is not a stellar sea lion it's something smaller and it just yanked this guy like nothing. Also another one gets annoyed by a dog and tosses it in the air

 

[Travis Alexander]

Yeah you really can't duplicate that first experience, but you can make a new experience.
Your son being older will change what you can do too, so that's going to add to it.

I imagine seeing him as a little boy having that experience will always be special to you, and that alone can't/won't be topped.

I would love to see that place though, I have seen so many documentaries about it sir.

Well said brotha, well said.

You should absolutely go to the Galapagos just make sure you do the full experience. Hike on each of the islands (with an experienced guide) so you can enjoy all of the incredible wildlife. Check out the Blue footed boobies, Albatross, finches, Tortoises, aquatic iguanas etc etc. Also snorkel the devils crown (it’s incredible!). It is one of the most magical places on earth.

 

[StonedLemur]

Well said brotha, well said.

You should absolutely go to the Galapagos just make sure you do the full experience. Hike on each of the islands (with an experienced guide) so you can enjoy all of the incredible wildlife. Check out the Blue footed boobies, Albatross, finches, Tortoises, aquatic iguanas etc etc. Also snorkel the devils crown (it’s incredible!). It is one of the most magical places on earth.

View attachment 1035785

Look at him, no fear...really gotta love that about him lol.
It sounds like exactly what I would want it to be honestly.
Funnily enough my wife calls me a blue footed boobie when I say something stupid or tell a bad joke...she says "you're a boob, a blue footed boob" lol.

Her and her family are huge bird people, they know so much more than I ever will about them.
I love listening to them talk about birds, even though Im not on their level...but I learned a lot from listening to those conversations tbh.

As for the snorkeling...ummm, Im deathly afraid of water since I almost drowned twice when I was a kid...so that might be a no from me lmao.

 

[Travis Alexander]

Look at him, no fear...really gotta love that about him lol.
It sounds like exactly what I would want it to be honestly.
Funnily enough my wife calls me a blue footed boobie when I say something stupid or tell a bad joke...she says "you're a boob, a blue footed boob" lol.

Her and her family are huge bird people, they know so much more than I ever will about them.
I love listening to them talk about birds, even though Im not on their level...but I learned a lot from listening to those conversations tbh.

As for the snorkeling...ummm, Im deathly afraid of water since I almost drowned twice when I was a kid...so that might be a no from me lmao.

He is a fearless kid (which is both good and bad I suppose lol). He was the front runner on all the hikes he wanted to be first to see the untouched wonders of nature.

Now that you’ve given me some background on yourself I would say it’s absolutely mandatory that you go to the Galapagos with your wife. I’m sorry to hear about your aversion to the ocean because the snorkeling is amazing there but don’t fret that is just one aspect of the trip. It’s truly a majestic place just make sure when you do it do it right. You have to have an experienced guide (do your research beforehand) you want someone that is indigenous to that area and can give you the best experience possible. I am pretty sure that it’s mandatory that you have a guide for most of the uninhabited islands anyway but just make sure your guide is a good one. Bring your camera and a go pro! Also bring plenty of sun screen (the sun hit’s different there considering where it lays on the equator) otherwise you will come back darker than me and not in a good way lol.

 

[blackheart]

one time I was surfing in North County San Diego as a young boy and a dolphin came up to me like 5 feet away and was just staring at me and checking me out. My adolescent brain couldn't fully process what was happening lol.

Cool story and pics op. Thanks for sharing.

 

[RichardHarrow]

I have seen sea lions or seals or whatever a few times in California. I saw one that had taken over a boat in a lagoon and was lounging outlooking like a baller.

Also, I agree with Louis CK that seals and sea lions should not be different things.
All of the following should just be seals from now on:

Seals
Sea Lions
Sea Otters
Narwhals
& maybe Walrusses

Leopard seal ?

 

[jeff7b9]

Leopard seal

Fixed

 

[StonedLemur]

He is a fearless kid (which is both good and bad I suppose lol). He was the front runner on all the hikes he wanted to be first to see the untouched wonders of nature.

Now that you’ve given me some background on yourself I would say it’s absolutely mandatory that you go to the Galapagos with your wife. I’m sorry to hear about your aversion to the ocean because the snorkeling is amazing there but don’t fret that is just one aspect of the trip. It’s truly a majestic place just make sure when you do it do it right. You have to have an experienced guide (do your research beforehand) you want someone that is indigenous to that area and can give you the best experience possible. I am pretty sure that it’s mandatory that you have a guide for most of the uninhabited islands anyway but just make sure your guide is a good one. Bring your camera and a go pro! Also bring plenty of sun screen (the sun hit’s different there considering where it lays on the equator) otherwise you will come back darker than me and not in a good way lol.

I guess him being fearless could be a bad thing...like it was with us to a degree lol.
I'm sure you'll teach him in a way that we weren't though, and that will make a world of difference.

I actually like the ocean, just don't like the way the undertow tried to take me when I was a kid (about 9 years old), and it was like being in a washing machine.
I have no idea how I got out of that still to this day, but I was puking up water in a panic about 100 yards away from where I originally was.

My friends parents never even noticed that I was missing, and it goes without saying I never trusted them or the ocean again.
The second time I almost drowned it was my older cousin actually talked me into going into this pond (Iwas 11), and he kept dunked my head under, and let me up and kept dunking me...the whole time all I can hear is him and my other cousin laughing every time he let me up.

It was fuckin nightmare inducing to be honest lol.
I was choking on water and leaves, and if it wasn't for my uncle slapping the fuck out of my cousin im pretty sure he would've accidentally killed me.
Needless to say I hate that fuckin cunt lol.
When I'm in deep water now my body just seizes up and I sink like a rock.

I have tried a million times to get passed it but something in my brain won't let go I guess.
I have always wanted to scuba dive and that's why I tried to get beyond it.

Either way I would still love to see the Galapagos lol

 

[Travis Alexander]

I guess him being fearless could be a bad thing...like it was with us to a degree lol.
I'm sure you'll teach him in a way that we weren't though, and that will make a world of difference.

I actually like the ocean, just don't like the way the undertow tried to take me when I was a kid (about 9 years old), and it was like being in a washing machine.
I have no idea how I got out of that still to this day, but I was puking up water in a panic about 100 yards away from where I originally was.

My friends parents never even noticed that I was missing, and it goes without saying I never trusted them or the ocean again.
The second time I almost drowned it was my older cousin actually talked me into going into this pond (Iwas 11), and he kept dunked my head under, and let me up and kept dunking me...the whole time all I can hear is him and my other cousin laughing every time he let me up.

It was fuckin nightmare inducing to be honest lol.
I was choking on water and leaves, and if it wasn't for my uncle slapping the fuck out of my cousin im pretty sure he would've accidentally killed me.
Needless to say I hate that fuckin cunt lol.
When I'm in deep water now my body just seizes up and I sink like a rock.

I have tried a million times to get passed it but something in my brain won't let go I guess.
I have always wanted to scuba dive and that's why I tried to get beyond it.

Either way I would still love to see the Galapagos lol

Yea I know what you mean. I am always mindful to make sure he doesn’t take after me too too much lol.

Damn those do both sound like trauma inducing situations brotha. Well the positive part about the Galapagos is that most of it can be enjoyed from the boat or the islands. The vast array of wildlife is pretty fucking incredible and it is a must see for nature lovers (which I’m honestly not I’m just a city guy but it kind of turned me into one). Hike the islands with a guide…enjoy the beaches with zero pollution and crystal clear water…walk through the caves…hang with tortoises that were hatched in the 1800’s…Plus there’s no other place on earth that has blue footed boobies and that in itself is worth the trip.

The entire place is awe inspiring to say the least.

 

[StonedLemur]

Yea I know what you mean. I am always mindful to make sure he doesn’t take after me too too much lol.

Damn those do both sound like trauma inducing situations brotha. Well the positive part about the Galapagos is that most of it can be enjoyed from the boat or the islands. The vast array of wildlife is pretty fucking incredible and it is a must see for nature lovers (which I’m honestly not I’m just a city guy but it kind of turned me into one). Hike the islands with a guide…enjoy the beaches with zero pollution and crystal clear water…walk through the caves…hang with tortoises that were hatched in the 1800’s…Plus there’s no other place on earth that has blue footed boobies and that in itself is worth the trip.

The entire place is awe inspiring to say the least.

Maine and my wife have turned me into a nature guy tbh, I'm all city boy lol.
I still want to be able to get in the water one day without becoming concrete and sinking though lol.

Btw for what its worth, you seem like a good father, real shit.

 

[listrahtes]

I’d watch your dog in the water near that thing, it can kill your dog if it decides to

I remember when a leopard seal killed Kristy Brown an antarctic researcher. He took her and kept her under water until she was drowned.

With sea lions I only know of biting attacks but yes I would also be very careful with a dog.

 

[Fuzzybabyducks]

He’s trying to steal your jobs