Fanny Bay is a tiny oceanside town situated on pretty Baynes Sound, a sheltered, narrow strait. It’s a popular place for fishermen, scuba divers, kayakers and paddle-boarders to use as a departure point.
There’s a Government Wharf in Fanny Bay that boats use to dock, and at the end of the wharf there’s a collection of pontoon floats that act as breakwaters. These pontoons double as resting platforms for California Sea Lions.
It’s hard to miss the Sea Lions when you approach the Wharf. They bark up quite a fuss and there’s a noticeable (though not overwhelming) seal lion smell. They’re fun to watch and sure know how to take it easy.
While large, California Sea Lions are sleek, fast swimmers able to attain 40 km/hour (25 mph), quicker than any other sea lion or seal. Males can weigh as much as 850 lbs (390 kg) and be 7 ft (2.1 m) long. Females rarely weigh more than 200 lbs (~90 kg). The range for California Sea Lions is anywhere from Vancouver Island in the north, to the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.
