Juvenile Steller sea lion dive behavior following temporary captivity

Abstract

Wild-caught juvenile Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus (n = 21) were maintained in temporary captivity for up to 12 wk to investigate health, disease, nutrition and behavior. We assessed the effects of captivity on post-release dive behavior and movement of each animal using externally mounted satellite data recorders. Based on a 74.1 ± 9.6 (SE) d tag transmission period, the mean dive depth (26.2 ± 4.0 [SE] m), dive duration (1.4 ± 0.1 [SE] min), dive rate (10.1 ± 0.5 [SE] dives h1), trip duration (10.8 ± 0.7 [SE] h), haul-out duration (11.3 ± 0.9 [SE] h) and time wet (46.9 ± 2.6 [SE]%) were within the range of previously published values. Movement (190.0 ± 31.9 [SE] km) between haul-outs and rookeries during the tracking period was also typical of juvenile Steller sea lions in Alaska. This study indicates that temporary captivity has little or no detrimental effect on dive performance or movement in the tracking period following release. © Inter-Research 2008.