Shot sea lion examined

Last week a kayaker was paddling in the West Duwamish Waterway. When she spotted a California sea lion carcass on shore, the kayaker alertly photographed it from her boat and called Seal Sitters Hotline Operator Barb.

Using online maps, First Responder David H was able to pinpoint the location, allowing First Responder Melinda S to quickly find the 7-foot-long male sea lion.  The responders alerted Seal Sitters’ stranding network partner SR3.

The next day, SR3 staff used portable X-ray equipment at the site and found the sea lion had been shot; a radiograph revealed numerous projectiles in the animal’s head.

Photo of head of deceased California sea lion showing location of projectiles revealed by radiology. Image provided by SR3 under NOAA Permit #24359.

Unfortunately, this is an all-too common discovery. As California sea lions return to the Salish Sea each fall, they are attracted to salmon runs at the mouths of rivers like the Duwamish. There, seals and sea lions compete with fishermen for a dwindling resource. 

Seal Sitters sends data to NOAA of shot, bludgeoned or entangled animals we find in West Seattle. Please call our hotline at 206-905-SEAL (206-905-7325) to report a dead marine mammal. If you witness or hear gunfire over the water, and can do so safely, call 911 immediately; call Seal Sitters afterwards to make a full report.