Kirk Stirnweis (Colorado, New Hampshire, B. 1967) "California Sea Lion" Signed lower right. Oil on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day of Issue Maximum Card of the 22c California Sea Lion issued on June 13, 1987. Flexible and streamlined, these playful mammals - often mistakenly called seals - are the circus stars most widely known for their acrobatic performances in marine shows throughout the country. In the wild, however, California Sea Lions live off the rocky Pacific coasts of central North America, as well as around the Galapagos Islands off South America. Enjoying more moderate climates, they live in areas where rising warm currents carry nutrients to the surface. The current's action allows them to search shallow waters for fish, squid, octopus, and abalone - taking their catch with a quick and powerful bite-shake-and-swallow action. Most Sea Lion behavior is accompanied by a variety of vocalizations. Males - called bulls - bark, females (cows) howl, and their furry brown pups produce a sort of bleating sound. Sea Lions are distinguished from true seals by their ears and by their use of their foreflippers as the principle means of propulsion through the water. They are also generally larger than true seals and have blunter snouts. Image Size: 13.5 x 18.25 in. Overall Size: 17.5 x 22.5 in. Unframed. (B11088)