Sea Lion Caves: Dim, smelly cavern is a natural wonder

FLORENCE, Ore. -- The grassy bluff over the Pacific offers stunning ocean views of crystalline water, smashing waves, swooping gulls and cormorants and distant Coast Range peaks.

It's a panoramic splendor. But the real crowd-pleaser on this pullout off U.S. 101 in southern Oregon is underground -- a dim, foul-smelling cavern called Sea Lion Caves.

Visitors enter through a gift shop, and pay $7 to take an elevator 200 feet underground.

The stadium-size, natural cavern is partly flooded with water that flows in through a tunnel that connects to the open ocean. It's a subterranean lagoon, serving as a preserve for two species of sea lions at their only known West Coast rookery -- or breeding ground -- that is not on an island.

It offers close-range gawking at what biologists describe as marine relatives to terrestrial bears. Some of the 12-foot-long bull Steller sea lions may lounge about 30 feet from the viewing platform.

A private company runs the site as both a roadside attraction and a conservation area. It was first opened in 1932 by a trio of Oregon families who saw commercial potential in the natural wonder as north-south U.S. 101 was paved and road traffic picked up.

The tourist-friendly approach -- building an elevator into a sensitive habitat -- recalls such draws as the drive-through giant sequoia redwoods also found along U.S. 101. But owners say the sea lions don't mind the crowds.

The cave formed when a layer of hard, basalt lava flowed from an ancient volcano into the ocean, covering a softer layer of rock that eroded from underneath to form a giant bubble at about sea level.

From a gift shop on the bluff above, visitors walk a precarious trail carved into the cliff to the elevator, which descends onto a ledge inside the cave about 30 feet above sea level. A powerful fishy stench wafts up from the boulders below, carpeted with dozens of 500- to 1,500-pound sea lions.

An Oregon ship captain, William Cox, claimed he discovered the cave by rowing a small boat through the tunnel in 1880. On a later visit, Cox became stranded by a storm. He reportedly survived by shooting and eating a sea lion pup.

Bull Steller, or northern, sea lions live year-round in the cave. As with many species of seal, the males are about twice as large as the females. Steller sea lions breed from June through August, with the males assembling harems of 15 to 20 females. The bulls pull themselves ashore in early summer, and won't feed for a month or so as they guard a patch of rock that their temporary family occupies.

Sea lions were in decline until recently, and remain locked in a fierce rivalry with West Coast fishermen because they have learned to follow boats and pluck meals of fresh salmon from tangled nets, or to gather at the entrances to locks, where fish gather to move up fish ladders and seek out inland spawning streams.

Until 1972, when killing sea lions became a federal crime, fishermen routinely vented their anger with a hail of bullets. The mammals are now making a comeback, although it's not uncommon for sea lions with bullet wounds to wash ashore in remote coves of the Oregon coast.

If you go

Getting there: From Portland, take Interstate 5 south to Exit 195-B onto Oregon Highway 126 toward Florence. Take Highway 101 north 10 miles to the caves.

Where to stay or eat: The nearest town is Florence 10 miles to the south. About 200 yards to the north, a pullout at Haceta Lighthouse offers picnic tables and a beach. For details on accommodations and other local attractions, contact the Florence Chamber of Commerce at www.florencechamber.com or 800-524-4864, 541-997-3128.

Tips: Bring a good pair of field binoculars to watch the sea lions and nesting sea birds. Flash photography is prohibited in the cave, so bring film for low-light conditions if you plan to take pictures inside. It's cool and damp inside, so a long-sleeve shirt is recommended. Sea lions are in the cave year-round. In the spring and summer, more are seen on the rookery outside the cave.

More information: Admission is $7, $4.50 for children between 6 and 16, free for 5 and under. The cave opens at 9 a.m. year-round, except closed on Christmas. Call 541-547-3111 or visit www.sealioncaves.com.