By Heather Hintze

Near FLORENCE, Ore. -- Hundreds of sea lions have disappeared from the San Francisco bay area within the past month. Now it looks like they might be taking a vacation on the Oregon Coast.

"This is very unusual. I don't think anyone here has seen anything like this before," says Sea Lion Caves General Manager Dan Harkins.

This beach near Heceta Head lighthouse has become the hot spot for nearly 4,000 California sea lions that are likely the ones that vanished from San Francisco.

The high surf pushed the pods into the water outside the sea lion caves. Cave employees say they've been working with the fish and wildlife in tracking the sea lions, and there's a simple reason they've picked the Oregon Coast.

"We're seeing the sea lions coming up this way from California because of the feeding. If the cold water fish move north to find colder waters, the sea lions have to eat and they follow the fish wherever they go," says Harkins.

In the Sea Lion Caves, there are about 400 northern sea lions resting on the rocks or playing in the waves. So how can cave employees tell the difference? "We can identify them by the sound of their voice. They have a barking noise rather than a grumbling or a growling that Stellers do," says Harkins.

The Sea Lion Caves were closed Thursday because of the high winds. They're hoping the winds die down so they can open New Year's Day.