Sea Lion Caves - Florence, OR - Caves on West Coast

The Sea Lion Caves at Florence, OR, are an excellent way to see live sea lions at work and play. The caves are about 11 miles north of Florence and are a must-see place to go when passing through the area.

Many types of sea lions migrate with the weather, but the type that are at the Sea Lion Caves, called Stellar sea lions, do not migrate. This means that there are always some of these wild sea lions there for you to see. A few of them, however, will travel toward Alaska and back.

The cave itself is massive. It is more than 200 feet high, and longer than a football field. Elevators were added in 1961, and people can easily get down to a viewing area above the sea lions. The Cave is privately owned and is considered to be the largest sea cave in the world. It was discovered in 1888.

Sea lions breed in the summer, but during the spring, you will see the bulls sparring for the right to a harem, which count about 10 to 20 cows. In June, the cubs are born. At times, there could be as many as 200 sea lions in the cave. It is the only place on the US mainland where these seals reside.

Sea lions themselves can become quite large. The female is considerably smaller than the male, and she will often weigh about 700 pounds and will be seven or eight feet long. The bull, however, will grow up to twelve feet long, and can weigh up to 1,500 pounds. A baby sea lion will weigh about 50 pounds.

The stellar seal is a northern seal and is unique from many other seals. One unique aspect of them is that they have external ears. They also have rear feet, or flippers, that point to the rear.

Sea Lion Caves presents the visitor with two different ways to view the sea lions. There is one viewing area on top where the sea lions that are outside on a rocky ledge can be seen. During the summer months, they are mostly outside. The other way is to take the elevator down to the viewing area, which is inside the cave. There is a cost to go down the elevator.

There are some pay telescopes on top, but there are not any in the cave itself in the viewing area. It is recommended that visitors bring binoculars in order to get the best look at the seals. Taking photos are not allowed in the cave.

Because the Sea Lion Caves, Florence, OR, is so close to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area at Reedsport, you have a great opportunity to see and do other things nearby. At the Dunes, you can find many activities - including swimming, fresh water and deep sea fishing, horseback riding, ATV's you can rent and ride the dunes with, and much more.

Elk herds can also be seen in the area. By going to the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area, it is possible to see hundreds of elk at a time. Whale watching is also possible by going to the Umpqua River Lighthouse, which is also the only lighthouse on the west coast with a red lens.