Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Daily and seasonal variation in the haul-out behavior of the South American sea lion

  • Original Investigation
  • Published:
Mammalian Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens), daily fluctuations in abundance have been analyzed based on sequential counts of the number of animals hauled-out. However, no studies have analyzed haul-out activity in relation to an annual cycle or according to different age/sex classes. The objective of this study was to determine the daily and seasonal haul-out patterns of each age/sex class of South American sea lions as a function of the time of the day. A total of 222 days were analyzed in a breeding colony of Chile, from May 2008 to December 2010. During the non-breeding season (March to December) males, females, and juveniles showed a unimodal pattern, in which few sea lions are hauled-out in the morning and maximum numbers are found in the rookery during the early afternoon (1330–1630). In contrast, during the breeding season (austral summer) the proportion of individuals hauled-out shifted from a unimodal to a bimodal pattern, especially in the case of juveniles. Our results indicate that there are fine scale differences in haul-out behavior among age/sex classes, as well as larger scale seasonal differences in the proportion of sea lions ashore. These differences appear to be related to reproductive activities, food availability and thermoregulatory requirements. These patterns of seasonal variability of South American sea lion haul-out should be taken into consideration when planning surveys to estimate population abundance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acevedo, J., Aguayo-Lobo, A., Sielfeld, W., 2003. Eventos reproductivos del león marino común, Otaria flavescens (Shaw 1800), en el norte de Chile (Pacífico suroriental). Rev. Biol. Mar. Oceanogr. 38, 69–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ainley, D.G., Huber, H.R., Bailey, K.M., 1982. Population fluctuations of California sea lions and the Pacific whiting fishery off Central California. Fish. Bull. 80, 253–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews-Goff, V., Hindell, M.A., Field, I.C., Wheatley, K.E., Charrassin, J.B., 2010. Factors influencing the winter haulout behaviour of Weddell seals: consequences for satellite telemetry. Endang. Species Res. 10, 83–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bengston, J.L., Cameron, M.F., 2004. Seasonal haulout patterns of crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga). Polar Biol. 27, 344–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertrand, A., Barbieri, M.A., Córdova, J., Hernández, C., Gómez, F., Leiva, F., 2004. Diel vertical behaviour, predator–prey relationships, and occupation of space by jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) off Chile. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 61, 1105–1112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calkins, D.G., Mallister, D.C., Pitcher, K.W., Pendleton, G.W., 1999. Steller sea lion status and trend in Southeast Alaska: 1979–1997. Mar. Mammal Sci. 15, 462–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capozzo, H.L., 2002. South American sea lion Otaria flavescens. In: Perrin, W.F., Würsig, B., Thewissen, J.G.M. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 1143–1146.

  • Campagna, C., LeBoeuf, B.J., 1988a. Reproductive behaviour of southern sea lions. Mar. Mammal Sci. 104, 233–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campagna, C., LeBoeuf, B.J., 1988b. Thermoregulatory behavior of southern sea lions and its effect on mating strategies. Behaviour 107, 73–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlens, H., Lydersen, C., Krafft, B.A., Kovacs, K.M., 2006. Spring haul-out behavior of ringed seals (Pusa hispida) in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Mar. Mammal Sci. 22, 379–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castillo, J.P., Barbieri, M.A., Espejo, M., Saavedra, A., Catasti, V., 2002. Evaluación acústica de la biomasa, abundancia, distribución espacial y caracterización de las agregaciones de anchoveta y sardina común en el período del desove: Invierno 2001. Final Report, Grant No FIP No 2001-14, Fund for Fisheries Research, Ministry of Economy, Chile, 460pp. Available at: https://doi.org/www.fip.cl/progxyear/2001/2001-14.htm/2001-14.htm.

  • Díaz, J.A., Cabezas-Díaz, S., 2004. Seasonal variation in the contribution of different behavioural mechanisms to lizard thermoregulation. Funct. Ecol. 18, 867–875.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, N.H., Heggenes, J., Metcalfe, N.B., Thorpe, J.E., 1995. Low summer temperatures cause juvenile Atlantic salmon to become nocturnal. Can. J. Zool. 73, 446–451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, J., 1934. The southern sea lion Otaria byronia (de Blainville). Discovery Rep. 8, 269–318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jemison, L.A., Pendleton, G.W., Wilson, C.A., Small, R.J., 2006. Long-term trends in harbor seal numbers at Tugidak Island and Nanvak Bay, Alaska. Mar. Mammal Sci. 22, 339–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kenagy, G.J., Nespolo, R.F., Vásquez, R.A., Bozinovic, F., 2002. Daily and seasonal limits of time and temperature to activity of degus. Rev. Chil. Hist. Nat. 75, 567–581.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, J.E., 1983. Seals of the World. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

  • Lake, S.E., Burton, H.R., Hindell, M.A., 1997. Influence of time of day and month on Weddell seal haul-out patterns at the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica. Polar Biol. 18, 319–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz, L., Pavéz, G., Inostroza, P., Sepúlveda, M., 2012. Foraging trips of females South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) in Isla Chañaral, Chile. Latin American J. Aquatic Mammals, https://doi.org/dx.doi.org/10.5597/lajamxxxxx/lajamxxxxx, in press.

  • Porter, W.P., Mitchell, J.W., Beckman, W.A., DeWitt, C.B., 1973. Behavioral implications of mechanistic ecology. Oecologia 13, 1–54.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reder, S., Lydersen, C., Arnold, W., Kovacs, K.M., 2003. Haulout behaviour of High Arctic harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) in Svalbard, Norway. Polar Biol. 27, 6–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riedman, M., 1990. The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea lions, and Walruses. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.

  • Rosas, F.C., Pinedo, M.C., Marmontel, M., Haimovici, M., 1994. Seasonal movements of the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens, Shaw) off the Rio Grande do Sul coast, Brazil. Mammalia 58, 51–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sepúlveda, M., Oliva, D., Palma, F., 2001. Daily and annual circarhythms activity in the South American sea lion Otaria flavescens (Carnivora: Otariidae) at the central zone of Chile. Rev. Biol. Mar. Oceanogr. 36, 181–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sepúlveda, M., Oliva, D., Urra, A., Pérez, M.J., Moraga, R., Schrader, D., Inostroza, P., Melo, A., Díaz, H., Sielfeld, W., 2011. Distribution and abundance of the South American sea lion Otaria flavescens (Carnivora: Otariidae) along the central coast off Chile. Rev. Chil. Hist. Nat. 84, 97–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sielfeld, W., 1999. Estado del conocimiento sobre conservación y preservación de Otaria flavescens (Shaw, 1800) y Arctocephalus australis (Zimmermann, 1783) en las costas de Chile. Estud. Oceanol. 18, 81–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soto, K.H., Trites, A.W., Arias-Schreiber, M., 2006. Changes indiet and maternal attendance of South American sea lions indicate changes in the marine environment and prey abundance. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 312, 277–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Southwell, C., 2005. Optimizing the timing of visual surveys of crabeater seal abundance: haulout behavior as a consideration. Wildlife Res. 32, 333–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stirling, I., 1968. Diurnal movements of the New Zealand fur seal at Kaikoura. New Zealand J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 2, 375–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, D., Duck, C.D., Mc Conell, B.J., Garret, J., 1998. Foraging behavior and diet of lactating female southern sea lions (Otaria flavescens) in the Falkland Islands. J. Zool. 246, 135–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, P.M., Fedak, M.A., McConnell, B.J., Nicholas, K.S., 1989. Seasonal and sexrelated variationin the activity patterns of common seals (Phoca vitulina). J. Appl. Ecol. 26, 521–535.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, P.M., Harwood, J., 1990. Methods for estimating the population size of common seals, Phoca vitulina. J. Appl. Ecol. 27, 924–938.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Underwood, A.J., 1997. Experiments in ecology: their logic design and interpretation using analysis of variance. Cambridge University Press.

  • Von Ende, C.N., 2001. Repeated measures analysis: growth and other time-dependent measures. In: Scheiner, S.M., Gurevitch, J. (Eds.), Design and Analysis of Ecological Experiments. , 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, New York, USA, pp. 134–157.

  • Warton, D.I., Hui, F.K.C., 2011. The arcsine is asinine: the analysis of proportions in ecology. Ecology 92, 3–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigación y Gestión en Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Av. Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile

    Maritza Sepúlveda & M. José Pérez-Álvarez

  2. Programa de Investigación Marina de Excelencia (PIMEX), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Chile

    Renato A. Quiñones & Pablo Carrasco

  3. Centro de Investigación Oceanográfica en el Pacífico Sur Oriental (COPAS), Departamento de Oceanografía, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Chile

    Renato A. Quiñones

Authors
  1. Maritza Sepúlveda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Renato A. Quiñones
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pablo Carrasco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. José Pérez-Álvarez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maritza Sepúlveda.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sepúlveda, M., Quiñones, R.A., Carrasco, P. et al. Daily and seasonal variation in the haul-out behavior of the South American sea lion. Mamm Biol 77, 288–292 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2012.03.008

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2012.03.008

Keywords

Search

Navigation