https://www.npr.org/2023/08/16/ [login to see] /sea-lions-marine-mammal-center-california
About two miles from the beach in Bodega Bay, California, there's a small island where sea lions stop to rest. Despite the distance, I can hear the animals barking faintly.
Looking through a pair of binoculars – I pick out wiggling, cigar-shaped smudges along the lower parts of Bodega Rock.
Dozens and dozens of sea lions – all different shades of brown, tan and beige.
What could all that barking mean?
"It could be announcing that there's really yummy food over here. It could be 'hey look at me, look at me.' It could be just wanting to be social, they enjoy being together," said Adam Ratner, associate director of conservation education at the Marine Mammal Center.