Steller, or Northern Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus)

The male, or bull, Stellar Sea Lion is a huge animal, growing up to three metres in length and weighing up to 900 kilograms.

In contrast, the females are only about a third as large, and give birth to one pup after a gestation period of one year.

There are three Stellar Sea Lion breeding rookeries in British Columbia, and many haul-out sites located throughout coastal B.C. A prominent local haul-out site is at Race Rocks, off the Western Communities of Greater Victoria.

I took this photograph while traveling through the Broken Island Group in Barkley Sound.