Paddling with sea lions

Here's a TV report of a family who had a sea lion pup jump on the back of their kayak and ride around with them for an hour in Santa Barbara: http://www.keyt.com/news/orange-county-family-talks-santa-barbara-sea-lion-visit-onto-their-kayak-last-weekend/31306256

It's cute when a sea lion pup jumps on a kayak.  It'll be less cute when that pup weights 600 pounds and jumps on a kayak.  It's generally a bad idea to let wild animals get too used to being around humans.  When bears start hanging around houses, and eating things they find around houses, state wildlife officials usually end up having to shoot them.  If that sea lion keeps hanging around people, it could be a menace in a couple of years.

Screw that. If a sea lion pup jumps aboard my boat its getting trained to serve me like a Lijang River cormorant.

Give it a few days and watch for a followup story where this family gets ticketed for calling the pup, and being within the restricted distance outlined by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.   

Cool none the less. 

This will do it

They thought it was fun, but couldn't see the Great White under them which was why the pup jumped on!

I have had some smaller harbor seals come really close. I thought they were actually thinking about climbing aboard. Kind of ruined fishing but they seem friendly. I just don't want one of these beasts climbing aboard. I fed these guys a couple flounder that had swallows the hook bad..  I got a little too close , but they didn't seem to mind

Allen damn near had a heart attack at ORC last year paddling in when a stellar breached about 10ft in front of us.

cohoman, please don't feed them fish with hooks inside of them. it's likely a long, painful death and does nothing to eradicate the sea lion problem.

I wouldn't do that. Hooks were removed

oh, i misunderstood you giving them "flounder that had swallowed the hooks bad" - thought you meant you cut the leader, tossed em to the sea lions.

I got rushed by a large bull CA sea lion last fall. Not a good feeling playing chicken with a 700+ lbs bull.

Nobody should be encouraging these types of interactions with pinnipeds. It's dangerous for all involved and completely inconsiderate of the animal and of all other two legged water users.

You are allowed to use non lethal means to deter seals and sea lions. Use them.

I had a bull sea lion roar at me repeatedly last year along a remote coastline on the Strait. I wanted to land for a nature break, but that was a bit to natural for me. I tracked me and kept me at sea for about a quarter of a mile. Quite territorial! Taught me some respect, for sure.

I wouldn't encourage feeding seals or sea lions anything.  Hooks or no hooks.  Wouldn't that essentially be training them to come begging for more from every human on the water?  Interactions with these critters is not a good idea.  Especially from a small vessel.   Might be kinda hard righting an overturned yak with a 500 pound sea lion taking a break on it. 

I wouldn't encourage feeding seals or sea lions anything.  Hooks or no hooks.  Wouldn't that essentially be training them to come begging for more from every human on the water?  Interactions with these critters is not a good idea.  Especially from a small vessel.   Might be kinda hard righting an overturned yak with a 500 pound sea lion taking a break on it.

Yeah, that. These things learn very well. It appears they haven't put kayak fishermen and food together just yet up here, but when they do, you'll get the behavior that is seen every day in places like San Diego. It isn't fun. Plus they are much bigger up here.

I wouldn't encourage feeding seals or sea lions anything.  Hooks or no hooks.  Wouldn't that essentially be training them to come begging for more from every human on the water?  Interactions with these critters is not a good idea.  Especially from a small vessel.   Might be kinda hard righting an overturned yak with a 500 pound sea lion taking a break on it.

I used to spend a lot of time in Monterrey, Ca, back in the 80's, they sold packages of food on the wharfs to feed the sea lions, everybody thought it was great. Sea lions moved onto the boat marina that was located there, ended up moving onto a great deal of the boats also. They had a huge problem with people that had boats moored at the marina couldn't get to them as the sea lions get very territorial as has been mentioned.  The boat ramp became unusable for awhile, haven't been back so not sure what happened. Sea lions start equating food with kayaks, somebody is going to get seriously injured. A kayaker in 14' kayak and a paddle isn't going to deter a sea lion from getting in your boat and taking your fish.