Sea Lion Caves, Natural sea cave sanctuary in Florence, Oregon, US
Sea Lion Caves is an expansive natural cave system along the Oregon coast near Florence. The interior features vast cavern space where large groups of sea lions gather and fill the chambers with their sounds.
The caves were formed millions of years ago through natural geological forces within basalt rock layers. Early in the 1900s they were set aside as a protected space for wildlife conservation and public learning.
The caves serve as a living habitat where sea lions gather and behave as they would in the wild. You can watch how these animals interact with each other and use the cave space as their home.
Access to the cave involves taking an elevator down into the depths. The number of sea lions changes with the seasons, so what you see may vary depending on when you visit.
The cave is home to one of the largest sea lion colonies on the West Coast, drawing thousands of these animals. The noise from so many sea lions vocalizing at once can be surprisingly intense.
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