Questions about a dead sea lion

[jpelote]

We were exploring the tidal pools near Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay, CA when my son found half of a lower jawbone. The jawbone was completely clean with a couple of teeth still intact, and I remarked that it must have been from a seal or sea lion. Then I looked at the rocks about 2 feet from where he was standing and saw the rest of the animal.

It was a female sea lion, about 5 feet long, with very little decay or damage. Very little that is, except it was headless. I looked it over without touching or moving it, and from what I could see, there was very little trauma aside from the missing head. There were some flies on it, but it looked like it had not been there for very long. BTW, the tide was about 1/2 way at this point.

My questions are:

1. What removed the head of the sea lion? My first inclination is to say shark. But I wonder about that since it is obvious that the shark was successful in killing it, but then let it go?? Could it have been a boat?

2. How was it that the jawbone (which was seperate from the body) have been cleaned so quickly, given that the rest of the remained seemed to be in such good shape?

Thanks for any information.

 

[Dryglove]

1. What removed the head of the sea lion? My first inclination is to say shark. But I wonder about that since it is obvious that the shark was successful in killing it, but then let it go?? Could it have been a boat?

Sounds like a trade mark of a great white

 

[Mike Veitch]

Sounds to me more likely a human than a shark. Great whites only attack when they want to eat. Orca on the other hand is known to grab sea lions and toss them in the air. This could account for missing head and body landing in a place where Orca couldn't reach.
As for the jawbone, perhaps from another animal?

So either human or orca in my opinion.

 

[whalerkyle]

That is so wierd. Just this Saturday, we saw two dead sea lions, 10 miles off Dana Point that were headless. The cut was not clean, and it looked like they had been there for a few days.

Kyle

 

[wedivebc]

We were exploring the tidal pools near Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay, CA when my son found half of a lower jawbone. The jawbone was completely clean with a couple of teeth still intact, and I remarked that it must have been from a seal or sea lion. Then I looked at the rocks about 2 feet from where he was standing and saw the rest of the animal.

It was a female sea lion, about 5 feet long, with very little decay or damage. Very little that is, except it was headless. I looked it over without touching or moving it, and from what I could see, there was very little trauma aside from the missing head. There were some flies on it, but it looked like it had not been there for very long. BTW, the tide was about 1/2 way at this point.

My questions are:

1. What removed the head of the sea lion? My first inclination is to say shark. But I wonder about that since it is obvious that the shark was successful in killing it, but then let it go?? Could it have been a boat?

2. How was it that the jawbone (which was seperate from the body) have been cleaned so quickly, given that the rest of the remained seemed to be in such good shape?

Thanks for any information.

I recently saw a seal carcass underwater (60') in the same condition. No head to be found. We don't have great whites up here but we do have orcas

 

[Damselfish]

I recently read an article in Discover magazine about "rogue orcas" might be interesting to search on.

 

[archman]

Otariids (sea lions) have pretty long necks with relatively many cervical vertebrae. They'd be much easier to disassociate from a scavenged body than most other marine mammals. But if the main body is in pretty fresh condition, I'd rule on the "predator that bit my head off" theory. SNAP!