Sea lions by the hundreds have made their home along the shores of a quiet Vancouver Island town, leaving some residents frustrated with the excess noise and foul smell.

Cowichan Bay, B.C., about 55 kilometres north of Victoria, is typically pretty quiet in November, but a colony of sea lions have made their home on the local docks.

“The smell can be really rank,” Mark Mercer, the Cowichan Bay Fishermen's Wharf manager, told CTV Vancouver Island.

The sea lions typically arrive in the area in the fall to feast on salmon and lounge around on the shoreline. Residents say it’s hard to tell when they will move on to their mating grounds.

“I put my money on the guy in the fur coat every time,” Mercer said. “If he doesn't want to move, he’s not moving.”

The noise and smell has gotten so bad that the Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay has begun issuing a disclaimer to potential customers. They also offer earplugs to travellers when they arrive.

The sea lions are “just kind of inconsiderate of the hotel's quiet time policy,” joked Rob Green, director of sales for the hotel.

At the same time, the sea lions have become an attraction for tourists. The hotel says customers have been coming back for years to catch a glimpse of the animals.

“I think it’s really cool,” said Justin Wright, who’s visiting the area from Nanaimo. “You just don’t see this every day.”

With a report from CTV Vancouver Island’s Jordan Cunningham