Naturally, the bulls have lost weight and are exhausted by the end of the breeding season and they generally spend the remainder of the summer by themselves, resting and regaining their strength. Commercial Value - The Steller sea lion has no fur, but instead is covered with a course, short hair about one inch long on its body, and the mature bull has slightly longer hair resembling a mane around his neck. Therefore, the Steller is of no commercial value except that some natives in remote northern parts of Alaska occasionally take the animal for food or for the skin which is used in boat making. These stones very in number and size from pebbles to three inches in diameter. No one knows whether the stones serve some useful function to the sea lion or whether they might have been swallowed accidentally, possibly in play.
Sea lions can easily escape the whale's pursuit by scrambling out of the water onto rocky ledges.
Throughout the years, man has probably been the greatest threat to sea lion safety, but from the beginning, the management of Sea Lion Caves has taken the utmost care to avoid disturbing the animals of the caves' area. For example, the distance between the observation points and the wildlife is designed so that the public can enjoy a reasonably close inspection without endangering and disrupting the natural life sequence of the animals. Also, maintenance and improvement is considered and undertaken only when there is no chance of disturbing the wildlife. Consequently, sea lions have continued to use Sea Lion Caves area as a home and refuge from danger. The sea lion is protected by Oregon law and it is never legally hunted either for trophy or sport.