Fig. 3. An example of a dive profile obtained from a 213-kg Steller sea lion (F97SI) showing the dive depth (top), pitch angle (middle), and vertical speed (bottom).

Symbols in the depth data indicate the start of descent (open circle), the end of descent (bold circle), the start of ascent (open triangle), and the end of ascent (bold triangle). The definition for each point is described in the text. Broken lines in the pitch angle mean impossibility to convert the unit in degrees due to acceleration values exceeding 9.8 m s⁻². Constant pitch angle and vertical speed during descent and ascent phases suggest that the animal is in a quasi-steady state during these phases.