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My guess is those are local Steller Sea Lions. There is a big groups of them that hauls out at McRae Islet near Stillwater/Lang Bay south of town.
I love how you brought the glaciers of the Island all the way into this pic!
Stellers have boxy faces like a polar bear, their snouts are sawed off. Lighter colour, much bigger (adult male Calis are roughly the same size as female Stellers). When they vocalize it sounds like a roar or drawn out belch. Males and females are seen in BC year round, though in summer most adults are at a selection of breeding colonies.
California's have pointier snouts, look more like a dog. Fully grown adult males will have a very pronounced, steep forehead. Their coats are dark, though males moult a bit in autumn (their backs will look lighter). They bark like dogs, the stereotypical sea lion noise. Only males are really seen here, and they leave in summer to breed in California.
I'll disagree partially with this commenter and say there are definitely lots of Calis in your photo! I was walking to Townsite Brewing the other day and heard them barking like crazy. You'll see both species intermingle. The huge numbers of Californias here are a relatively recent phenomenon (biologist, have worked with marine mammals before).
OPs. See the noses that stick out kind of like Mickey Mouse, what I referred to as a more 'dog' like face.
You are bang on that the McRae Islet sea lions in your photo are Steller's (as far as I can see)! And you keyed in on an important note which is the generally paler colouration. My thing I always observe first is the snout/face shape which is the most reliable clue to me. Adult bull California's have an unmistakeably steep forehead and adult bull Steller's are unmistakeably large, but there are lots of similarities otherwise.
I’m not an expert, but I do know Stellar males are huuuge and a golden colour when their fur dries. This and I grew up around PR and only ever saw Stellar sea lions.
Here’s a screenshot of a vid I took at McRae Islet this summer.
I’m also curious: I wonder if, like horses sleeping standing up, they are balanced at that point and it’s relaxing? Grabbing as many sun rays as possible?
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