Watch: Noisy throng of sea lions frolic near Jericho Beach

A large swarm of California sea lions have converged in the waters near Vancouver’s Jericho and Locarno beaches. 

Dozens of the animals can be spotted frolicking in the depths close to the coastline, although it's their incessant clamouring that is alerting people to their presence first.

“The barking could be heard from across the park,” said a CTV staff member, who stumbled across the colony while walking in the area Saturday morning. 

“It sounded like the barking of dogs,” she said.

The staff member said the spectacle had amassed a large crowd of spectators who were watching in awe, from kayakers and boat owners who were already in the waters to “a few dozen onlookers” on the shore.

“We were delighted; everyone was pulling out their cameras,” she said.

Despite living in the area for a number of years and walking the same stretch of coastline almost every day, she said she had never witnessed anything like it in those waters before.

“Maybe you will see a small seal or two, but nothing of this size,” she said, explaining how the “big flippers and big heads” of the animals and their large numbers had her pondering whether the visitors were seals, known to be common in the area, or sea lions.

Lindsay Akhurst, the manager of Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Center, confirmed the group were California sea lions, a coastal seal native to North America and known to frequent B.C. coasts.

The aquarium's phone had been “ringing off the hook” Saturday with excited reports, said Akhurst, although the visit from the colony isn’t to be deemed anything out of the ordinary.

“It’s very normal behaviour they’re displaying, and very normal for us to have California sea lions in our area,” she said, adding how the group lolling near Jericho Beach comprises mainly male sea lions. While there will be a mix of ages, many of them will be seniors, she said.

As “naturally gregarious animals” sea lions tend to enjoy company - hence the large, 30+ group, she said. Many of the marine mammals spotted with their fins breaching the surface are thermoregulating, while the rest are either enjoying a snack or simply kicking back and taking it easy.

“They’re basically just relaxing out there in the waters right now,” said Akhurst.

Like most marine life, the seal lions swim to where there is food in abundance, and the waters off B.C., now teeming with smolt and forage fish like sardines, are a prime destination for passersby.

“There is the salmon run at the moment, and that does tend to bring more sea lions to the British Columbia coastline," Akhurst said.

She says the coastline of B.C. has experienced an increase in marine life in the past five to 10 years, especially in the Howe Sound area.

With residents so fortunate to witness animals in increasing numbers and at such close proximity, Akhurst said all measures should be taken to ensure the encounters are enjoyed respectfully and from a distance.

In regards to the sea lions, beachgoers and boaters should “stay back” and give the animals lots of breathing room, she said.

Anyone who witnesses someone approaching the animals too closely is asked to call the Fisheries and Oceans hotline at 1-800-465-4336 and report the incident, she said.