Sacramento, California (WHDH) — He doesn’t stay up for long but he’s there, lurking in the Sacramento River.
Amanda Grear was taking pictures by the river when she saw it.
“I couldn’t tell what it was,” said Grear.
Scott Buhl, a wildlife response specialist at UC Davis, knew immediately. It was a California Sea Lion.
Buhl says the sea lion appears to be a healthy male, roughly 400 to 500 pounds.
He says it is not uncommon to see a sea lion once every year or two.
Larger mammals like whales are much more rare.
In 2007 Dawn and Delta, two hump back whales, got stuck in the port in some shallow water and needed assistance.
Several agencies used sonar to guide the whales safely back to the bay, 90 miles away.
Buhl says the sea lion situation is not dire, but warns people to view the animal from a distance.
“They also can be dangerous, they will bite you,” said Buhl. “They are a wild animal.”
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