Saturday 9/4 sea lion on board in Half Moon Bay

Got out of the opening of the harbor this past Saturday right around first light to try to get to the red can early for rockfish because I needed to be back on shore earlier than usual. Another kayaker in the harbor said a friendly hello, and we talked about the salmon despair that's been going on with none around. On the way out, I tried to ignore whatever came on my fishfinder screen so I could stick to my plan and get down to business, but I did manage a quick kingfish for ling bait.

As I approached the red can, there was a mamma sea lion lounging on the buoy while its little baby kept trying to make the jump to join her. The little one couldn't make the leap. I watched this for a minute and gave them a little space as I passed the buoy from the outside heading just inside it. What I didn't see was that there was another sea lion under the water, and my theory is that it was maybe daddy sea lion??

Anyway...without any warning whatsoever, a bigger sea lion exploded out of the water with a splash just to my left and landed across the boat right on top of my feet and the pedals for my drive (Hobie Passport 12). It landed at an angle with its head farther away from me on the right side of the boat and its ass end right by my knees on the left. I screamed straight away and started pushing it with my feet. The thing didn't even look back at me and seemed just as eager to get back in the water as it was to scare the shit out of me a second earlier. It didn't show itself again.

It was over quickly, and I was pretty shaky for the next 15 or 20 minutes. It wasn't one of those super jumbo sea lions, but a sizeable critter nonetheless. My kayak is super stable, and it didn't seem close to tipping me. The left pedal of my drive got knocked to another position but wasn't damaged. In fact, the bastard kind of threaded the needle between my rod holder on the left rail and fishfinder display at the bow, so nothing was damaged.

After that, I got to fishing discovered that the reef area inside the red can has some kelp around and can be a snag fest. Lost my rig with the kingfish. I fished shrimp flies with frozen squids and anchovies after that. Wound up with three gophers, three blues, and two lingcod (23.5 inches and 27.5 inches) as well as a flatfish that was very flat and had more of a sucker mouth than the toothy solid mouth of a halibut. I think it was a plaice.

The first lingcod was hitchhiker style chasing a blue rockfish. I don't think it was ever hooked, just hanging on at times. When I was reeling in the blue, I went really slowly as it got near the surface because it had been pulling very hard at times, so I was making sure I didn't need the net or anything. It looked for a second like a double hookup, but  I saw that fish number 2 was swimming around freely while the blue rockfish was stuck on my hook/line. I left the rockfish in the water to swim around and grabbed my net. The ling was so intent on staring at the rockfish that I was able to slip the net behind him and scoop him up. It even seemed to take a couple more seconds before he realized there was trouble. No hook removal required, and it was fun having a ling in the net and a blue on the hook in the boat at the same time.

The second ling, the smaller one, took a frozen anchovy. It was more of a fight than the bigger one, probably because it was actually hooked. It was a great morning even with the unwanted passenger.  Attached a pic of the lings and gophers.

Wow, that's one hell of a day you will always remember getting boarded by a sea lion!    Sweet hitchhiker ling and "I love it when a plan comes together!" 

Yea that would have me a little shaky and would put the head on a swivel for a bit. Sort of amazing that happened and there was no damage to boat, person or critter.

Wow, I'd have to power wash my wetsuit after that. 

Last year, I had a modest-sized sea lion try to jump over the rear aka bar on my AI. It didn't clear the bar and was struggling to get over, with it's toothy mouth thrashing back and forth within a few inches of my head. It did eventually make its way over the bar, which was a relief. That was not fun, but your encounter sounds like it had even more potential for disaster.

Btw, my sea lion adventure was near the mile buoy in Santa Cruz. So, maybe it's a good idea for kayakers to give a wide berth to buoys...

A few weeks back, a smaller one was hanging around SC3 in Capitola while I was fishing there. It was surfacing a lot, and we seemed to be working the same reef, but we coexisted in a state of harmony for awhile. But I think it didn’t like when I stared at it for too long at one point and it started swimming straight at me. It was porpoising, if I’m using that term correctly; it was jumping in and out of the water as it swam straight at me. It took its final dive a few feet from me and seemed like it was making a run at me to suggest that I leave. Seemed like a similar situation this past weekend but a difference in sea lion tactics. Next time I see one, I’m giving it lots of space.

Damn, that sounds like a real close encounter.  I've had some following me for a long ways, constantly going under the yak and popping up next to the yak.  Thought it was going to try and jump aboard for sure but never did.  Screw those damn fur bags!   

I would like to petition for a sea lion cull. But that’s probably not going to happen.

Instead, maybe college football fans could chant “F¥#% sea lions” during Saturday games. Baby steps.

Somehow makes me think about the urban legend of dropping a lit cherry bomb down the toilet at school.

Ah to be a total delinquent again...  for delinquency’s sake, of course.

wow, that's up close and personal, ouchie