A gigantic Steller sea lion visits a group of smaller relatives - PHOTO

The gigantic Steller sea lion was spending the day among its much smaller relatives – the California sea lion – and the difference is striking.Towering high above the others, it was spotted amidst his diminutive sea lion pals at Moss Landing, California, where a brave buddy tried his best to make a similar regal pose.Photographer Michael Yang says the Steller has been making this his vacation home for the past few years.He explains: ‘He visits for several weeks at a time and resting on the already crowded dock when he is not out hunting for prey.'The much smaller California sea lions, which are here most of the year, give way when he wants to come onboard. The California sea lions are already a local tourist attraction having completely taken over the Visitor's Dock. The Steller sea lion draws even more people. Most people are amazed at how much bigger he is compared to the others.’Shelbi Stoudt, Stranding and Data Manager at The Marine Mammal Center, says that the first time they encountered this Steller sea lion was in March of 2011.Since then, it has been coming back yearly for a couple of weeks at a time to rest with the California sea lions on the same dock.Stoudt explains that although there is a Steller colony some 40 miles away, it is unusual behavior for a Steller sea lion to rest with a group of California sea lions. She assumes that this is a younger male animal as they tend to explore more, returning to the breeding grounds when they reach sexual maturity.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az