UPDATE: About the sea-lion carcass on Harbor Avenue shores

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

ORIGINAL TUESDAY REPORT: We’ve received several reports in recent days of a dead sea lion – some have mistaken it for a whale calf, but it’s not – seen on the shore at Seacrest and Don Armeni. The most recent photos show it’s marked with bright-green paint, which means it’s already been officially noted. We asked Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network‘s David Hutchinson about it – he sent this reply with a photo of one of the signs SSMMSN has posted:

Seal Sitters has been monitoring the location of this California Sea Lion carcass since Friday (10/20) when it washed up by the north end of Don Armeni. Since then, it has floated to Cove #3 by Marination.

Signs have been posted and Seal Sitters has contacted Seattle Parks about removal and disposal. The carcass has been marked with green spray paint – this is done for ID purposes in case it floats to a different location.

If you see any type of marine mammal, dead or alive, on a West Seattle beach – or one that appears to be in distress r deceased offshore – call Seal Sitters MMSN’s hotline at 206-905-SEAL.

ADDED WEDNESDAY NIGHT: An update from David Hutchinson:

Seattle Parks removed the California Sea Lion carcass today. During the night it had floated up from Cove 3 to the Don Armeni boat ramp. This made it accessible to their equipment – this was a large animal, approximately 8 -9 feet in length. No necropsy was done due to advanced decomposition. I was contacted last evening by a reporting party who sent photos from 10/7 showing it floating in Elliott Bay on that date. Thanks to those who called the Seal Sitters’ Hotline, and helped us keep track of its location.

Seal Sitters is responsible for responding to reports of any dead marine mammal on West Seattle beaches. For cases like this, where the carcass has to be left on the beach, our responders often mark it with bright spray paint. Many people who resight and report the carcass to our hotline (206-905-7325), are then able to identify it as the same animal rather than reporting it as a different case each time it’s resighted. If the carcass is in good enough condition, a necropsy is usually performed to try to determine cause of death. All cases are documented and entered into the NOAA National Marine Mammal Stranding Database.

Osprey October 24, 2023 (3:36 pm)

Several Harbor Avenue neighbors said they heard one to three gunshots from a boat net fishing in the bay last week. We held our breath hoping no sea lions washed up on shore. Too sad.

Marty October 24, 2023 (4:57 pm)

Not a very responsible post since there has been no official report of the cause of death. Insinuating that it was shot by net fishermen is not cool without some solid proof.
- Alki resident October 24, 2023 (5:17 pm)
  
  He didn’t say it factually was shot. He mentioned hearing hun shots and hoping it wasn’t for the seals. If you’ve been here long enough, you’d know this happened in the past. Nothing to be offended about.
  - Jethro Marx October 24, 2023 (5:58 pm)
    
    “…they heard one to three gunshots from a boat…”
    Doesn’t this point to the presumably native fishers as the shooters? It may also point to a certain bias on the part of “they” as one can not hear gunshots from a boat, but only a vicinity. If you believe a boat may be out shooting sea lions and you think you hear gunshots you obviously will remember it this way. But sound can be a bit funny, especially out on the water.
  - Rick October 25, 2023 (8:49 am)
    
    But people need things to be offended by these days. Plenty of times an actual offense doesn’t even exist but…
R October 24, 2023 (5:26 pm)

Agree with Marty. This seems like a leap. Not saying it’s untrue, but certainly not the only plausible option given the facts that presented.

HB October 24, 2023 (5:46 pm)

Thank you WS Blog for posting the hot line number.

CarDriver October 24, 2023 (5:54 pm)

Commercial fishermen both native and non-native have been shooting seals and sea lions that are caught in their nets eating the fish for a LONG time. Not common but it does and will continue to happen. It’s just that it’s not that common for the evidence to wash ashore.

Kersti Elisabeth Muul October 24, 2023 (7:49 pm)

It is very common and they aren’t shooting things that are stuck in the nets They are shooting them off of the buoys and they are shooting them in open water outside of their netsI have so much footage spanning at least 7 years
Marlene October 25, 2023 (2:39 pm)

This is very true from Maine to California Texas to Alaska fisherman shoot seals, sharks, dolphins and porpoise I know I lived with fishermen and they all did it to protect nets and catch. People.can be offended but hey it happens!

Cornelius T. Sourdough October 24, 2023 (6:29 pm)

I happened upon this seal pup September 17th on the Duwamish fishing pier. There was clearly a gunshot wound through its head.

Kersti Elisabeth Muul October 24, 2023 (6:29 pm)

Likely it was shot, but it’s pretty decomposed and won’t get a necropsy unfortunately. It’s not a leap, it’s that time of year when the shot ones start washing up. Chum season opens, CSL migration, nets in the Duwamish and bay. If you had any idea how many have been confirmed shot, you know it’s not a leap

Sweet sea lion October 24, 2023 (8:07 pm)

I saw this poor animal. His head was missing. It’s likely he was shot in the head and then whoever did it took his head fully off and got rid of the head to protect themself from having this act traced back to them.

Kersti Elisabeth Muul October 24, 2023 (9:47 pm)

Heads are the first to go during advanced decomp
Kristen October 25, 2023 (8:32 am)

Actually, the reason so many seal & sea lion carcasses are headless is because of decomposition. The head is usually the first to decompose.
Kersti Elisabeth Muul October 25, 2023 (8:34 am)

The head is usually the first thing to come off during decomposition
Cashbuyer October 25, 2023 (10:01 am)

That is a remarkably creative, improbable and ridiculous scenario.
I have in the past found dead seals washed up on our beachfront in Hood Canal, called authorities who have told me the apparent bullet holes in the seal pup were likely the results of eagles and sea gulls.

Without a necropsy, it is irresponsible to make up such a narrative or even claim that there was a gunshot wound.
- WSB October 25, 2023 (11:39 am)
  
  As other commenters have noted – and we have heard this in the past – a missing head does not mean someone cut it off.
  
  And there has been no necropsy reported on this animal so far, so the cause of death is not known.
  
  But yes, there have been sea lions shot dead in the area in the past. Some past coverage:
  https://wsb.blackfin.biz/2018/11/followup-3-more-sea-lions-killed/
  https://wsb.blackfin.biz/2020/01/followup-investigation-confirms-sea-lion-was-9th-pinniped-shot-dead-in-recent-months/
- Kersti Elisabeth Muul October 25, 2023 (3:56 pm)
  
  Exams in situ can differentiate between post mortem scavenging holes from birds, etc and bullet holes. There are instruments that measure how deep the hole is, etc. But that requires someone to respond, and depending on jurisdiction that may be a tall order.Without a head, there are no holes to poke. And this one isn’t getting a necropsy. I first reported it last week and it’s been floating for some time, based on the amount of decomposition. Skin is already in slippage.X-rays are also done to look for bullets There will be more this season. And this isn’t the first one.

Sorry, comment time is over.