- Breed on San Miguel Island (SMI) and other Channel Islands during summer
- Pups born in May and June; breeding occurs in July
- Adult males migrate to northern California, Oregon and Washington during the winter while females and pups remain in central and southern California year round
- Estimated U.S. population: 238,000 (45% on SMI)
- Average adult female: 5 feet long and 200 pounds
- Average adult male: 8 feet long and 800 pounds
- Feed in coastal and offshore waters on market squid, northern anchovy, Pacific sardine, Pacific hake and rockfish
- In a typical year, 1 out of every 3 pups dies before their first birthday
- During El Niño years, 2 out of every 3 pups die in their first year
- Despite periodic high mortality from El Niño events, annual pup numbers have almost tripled since 1975
- Current population status can be found in the NOAA
NMFS Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/species.htm
Pups are counted from large-format aerial photographs obtained in late July by the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service. Only live pups are counted so declines in pup numbers reflect both declines in births and increased mortality in the first 2 months of life.
- Breed on San Miguel Island during summer
- Pups born June and July; breeding June through August
- Estimated U.S. population is 1.1 million (11,000 on SMI)
- Average adult female: 5 feet long and 80 pounds
- Average adult male: 7 feet long and 400-600 pounds
- Feed in offshore and pelagic waters on gonatid squids, Pacific herring, northern anchovy, Pacific sardine, California smoothtongue and Pacific saury
- During the 1983 El Niño, pup births declined 60%
- In 1997 El Niño, approximately 75% of the 2,000 pups born at SMI died by October; no survivors of the 1997 cohort have been observed
- El Niño events are a major influence on the population dynamics of the San Miguel fur seal population but pup numbers have more than tripled since 1975
- Current population status can be found in the NOAA NMFS Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/species.htm
Pups are counted at San Miguel Island and Castle Rock in late July by 2 or 3 biologists from the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center. Only live pups are represented in the graph, so declines in pup numbers reflect both declines in births and increased mortality in the first 2 months of life.
- Pup and breed on San Miguel Island and other areas in California during winter
- Pups born December through January; breeding occurs January and February
- Estimated U.S. population is 80,000
- Average adult female : 11.5 feet long and 2000 pounds
- Average adult male : 14 feet long and 3000-4000 pounds
- Feed in pelagic waters on large squid species, hake, rockfish and dogfish
- Survival rates of pups decreased significantly during the 1983 El Niño
- Storm-related pup mortality increase during the 1983 El Niño
- Decreased natality and survival of sub-adult males during 1983 El Niño
Pups are counted from large-format aerial photographs obtained in late January by the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service.
