Mystery animal in the Columbia

The purpose of this forum is to help people identify things they've seen while out hiking: wildflowers, trees, birds, insects, small animals, animal tracks, even geographical features like buttes or streams
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Boozeman
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Mystery animal in the Columbia

Post by Boozeman » July 29th, 2016, 2:00 pm

I was doing the Cape Horn loop hike in the Gorge on July 28th. When I stopped at the Cigar Rock viewpoint I saw this thing floating out in the river. I thought it was just debris at first, but then it started diving and surfacing. Logic would dictate that it's a sea lion, but I've never seen a white sea lion before. Can anybody give me a positive ID?

Sorry about the quality. Shot from my S7 phone on max zoom.

https://youtu.be/bzg2JU4TMNU

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kepPNW
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Re: Mystery animal in the Columbia

Post by kepPNW » July 29th, 2016, 2:09 pm

Sea lions love to lounge on Phoca Rock, so it totally fits to assume that's what it is.

And a Google Image search for "albino sea lions" indicates that too is possible.

Very cool sighting! :D
Karl
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Boozeman
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Re: Mystery animal in the Columbia

Post by Boozeman » July 30th, 2016, 2:36 pm

Thanks Karl!!! :)

I'm going on the assumption that the sea lion ID is probably accurate. The only other animal that sprang to mind was a polar bear. That seems less likely. Ha,ha. :lol:

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kepPNW
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Re: Mystery animal in the Columbia

Post by kepPNW » July 30th, 2016, 4:28 pm

Heheh... I had a momentary "Sturgeon" thought, too. :)

But!!! :idea:

It just occurred to me that I had photos of sea lions on Phoca Rock, so I went looking and found this!
  • Image
    March 22, 2013 - Look closely at that little rock on the left!

    Image
    Cropped original at 100%. Two of them, right?
Same guy???
Last edited by kepPNW on July 30th, 2016, 5:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Karl
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Waffle Stomper
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Re: Mystery animal in the Columbia

Post by Waffle Stomper » July 30th, 2016, 4:51 pm

Looks like a sea lion to me as well. It does seem to have some darker pigmentation, it could be a leucistic sea lion. Either way very cool find.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir

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Guy
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Re: Mystery animal in the Columbia

Post by Guy » July 30th, 2016, 5:28 pm

I was able to zoom in & enhance your video slightly......

Image
hiking log & photos.
Ad monte summa aut mors

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Koda
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Re: Mystery animal in the Columbia

Post by Koda » July 31st, 2016, 10:02 am

:lol: :lol: :lol:
lightweight, cheap, strong... pick 2

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sgyoung
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Re: Mystery animal in the Columbia

Post by sgyoung » August 9th, 2016, 4:38 pm

Guy wrote:I was able to zoom in & enhance your video slightly......

Image
:lol: This deserves more attention. That is awesome.

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