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Seal Sitters’ alert: Watch for orphaned newborn as pup season starts
June 12, 2013 8:32 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey shares that photo as an example of a pup still displaying “lanugo,” a long, wavy coat that is a sign of premature birth since it’s usually shed in the womb. She’s asking you to be particularly watchful around West Seattle’s shorelines, not just because pupping season has started in this area, but because a motherless newborn might turn up and need help:

Sadly, we responded to an adult female seal (Monday) that died shortly afterward. The WDFW necropsy (Tuesday) revealed that she had given birth probably two days ago. This means it is possible that there is a newborn pup in West Seattle or one of the neighboring communities. A newborn harbor seal pup can live about a week and a half without nutrition from the mother. If the pup indeed survived, he would be extremely weak and vulnerable – most especially to off-leash dogs.

We are asking everyone to please be on the alert for this pup – or any pups on shore. And, of course, to stay away, keep dogs leashed and call our hotline @ 206-905-7325 (SEAL).

Additionally, we heard rumors of a “mom and pup” resting on the rocks off of Lincoln Park the other day. No one called our hotline, but we are told that many people were taking photos. If anyone has photos of the pair, please email us in hopes that we can determine if truly it was a mom and newborn pup and possibly identify the adult female.

Thanks so much. This is truly where the community makes a huge difference!

There’s more info on the Seal Sitters’ Blubberblog.

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West Seattle weekend scene: Erich Hoyt’s Whale Trail talk fills Hall at Fauntleroy
June 8, 2013 10:37 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle weekend scene: Erich Hoyt’s Whale Trail talk fills Hall at Fauntleroy
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Thanks to “Diver Laura” James for sharing photos from tonight’s The Whale Trail presentation at The Hall at Fauntleroy. She reports 100 people turned out to hear from Erich Hoyt, who TWT founder Donna Sandstrom says she was thrilled to host, because: “Almost everything I know about orcas, I first learned from reading Erich’s book, ‘Orca: The Whale Called Killer,’ way back in the early ’80s.”

Note the 23-foot inflatable orca in the background – a special touch for this event. Previous Whale Trail-presented speakers have included local orca expert Mark Sears, Keep an eye on TWT’s website for future events.

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Lively spring season for Fauntleroy Creek salmon & their helpers
June 3, 2013 10:03 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Dennis Hinton checking on smolt trap; photo by Connie Hinton)
Remember that record-setting count of Fauntleroy Creek spawners last fall? That couldn’t have happened without help. And the spring season brings a lot of help to the creek too, as reported in this wrapup shared by Judy Pickens:

Fauntleroy Creek was teeming with life this spring as students released fry and as smolts headed for saltwater.

Between April 30 and May 22, volunteers with the Fauntleroy Watershed Council hosted 18 salmon-release field trips from 15 schools, plus a group of South Koreans visiting Fauntleroy Church. A total of 626 students released an estimated 1,932 coho fry into the creek, where they will spend the next year growing into smolts.

Volunteers checked two soft traps in the creek every day between mid March and May 31 and documented 141 smolts leaving for Puget Sound. The 4″-5″ fish will feed near the shore in Fauntleroy Cove until they’re big enough to take on the open water.

Key volunteers who made these activities possible were Judy Pickens, Dennis Hinton, Pete Draughon, Steev Ward, and Jack Lawless.

Want to know more about Fauntleroy Creek and its watershed? Go here.

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Video: Harbor seal on the hunt in West Seattle waters
May 30, 2013 1:27 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

Thanks to Seal Sitters and local photographers, we’ve seen many awesome views of harbor seals, usually resting on local beaches and rafts. Today, something new – a view of how they look for food, moving beneath the surface of West Seattle waters. It’s courtesy of local photographer William Drumm (who’s on Facebook as “Barnacle Bill“). He recorded that video near West Seattle’s Seacrest Park, and says it’s being used in the Seattle Aquarium‘s new harbor-seal exhibit, which opens to the public this weekend.

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West Seattle weekend scenes: Bright low-low-tide sights
May 27, 2013 11:14 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Two colorful photos to share from this weekend’s low-low tides: Top photo is courtesy of 12-year-old Max Rubin-Stencel, who took it on Saturday at Constellation Park south of Alki Point. If you know what type of eggs (?) those are, please advise via comments or e-mail – thanks! Next, Sunshine Adams-Toledo shared the photo of a blood star:

If you have an extra day off – or are otherwise flexible during the day – tomorrow’s low tide will be -2.8 at 2 pm (not quite as far out as the past three days, but close) and Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists will be out at Constellation Park and Lincoln Park (near Colman Pool) again, 11:30 am-3 pm.

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Happening now: Low-low tide along West Seattle shores
May 25, 2013 12:19 pm
|    Comments Off on Happening now: Low-low tide along West Seattle shores
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Thanks to Leslie Dierauf of Beach Drive for sharing low-tide sights – today’s tide bottomed out at -3.3 less than an hour ago, so beach-walking conditions will still be great for a few hours, and Leslie points out that Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists are out. They’re at Constellation Park and Lincoln Park until 2 pm today.

Tomorrow’s low-low tide will be even further out – -3.6 at 12:23 pm Sunday; the volunteer beach naturalists will be back, same spots, 10:30 am-2:30 pm.

P.S. Remember you can always find the tide chart on the WSB Weather page!

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Next up for The Whale Trail: Erich Hoyt, ‘Adventures with Orcas in the North Pacific’
May 16, 2013 11:15 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photo copyright Evgeniya Lazareva, Far East Russia Orca Project [FEROP, WDC])
One more talk is set for The Whale Trail‘s series, announced today by TWT’s Donna Sandstrom: “Adventures with Orcas in the North Pacific, From A1 Stubbs to Iceberg, the White Russian Bull,” featuring author/researcher Erich Hoyt. Big topic, and a bigger venue – after filling C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor) for each of the four previous talks, this time it’ll be at The Hall at Fauntleroy, and instead of on a weeknight, it’s on a Saturday night, June 8th (7-9 pm). Tickets are available now! Read on for the full announcement:

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West Seattle rescue: Baby bird saved; what to do if you see one
May 12, 2013 11:10 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

From wildlife writer/photographer Trileigh Tucker, the tale of a baby bird’s rescue – and what to do if you see one in trouble:

A West Seattle neighbor was a real wildlife hero this afternoon.

From my house, I heard an unusually loud Steller’s Jay cacophony in the park, but figured it might just be a bunch of nestlings calling to Mom and Dad for dinner. Shortly after that I heard a bunch of crows shrieking up a storm, and finally realized I should probably go check it out. I should have done this right away.

Several people were standing around a baby Steller’s Jay that had been harassed out of its nest by crows, who were apparently harassing and poking at it on the ground until Guardian Angel #1 stepped in to disperse them. Guardian Angels #2 and #3 were staying with the little bird – at first they thought it was dead, but then saw it was breathing. I picked it up and it held on tightly to my finger, so I knew it might be OK. We looked up in the nearby trees for the nest, hoping to put it back, but couldn’t find it. The parent jays were nearby but didn’t seem to be at their nest.

We put him in a box, then called PAWS in Lynnwood, who said to bring it up there for rehabilitation. So Guardian Angel #2, whose name is Marjorie Severson [photo above right], a generous and kind West Seattleite who volunteered to drive the little baby jay all the way up to Lynnwood for PAWS to help him out! I’m attaching her photo with the baby bird. She truly is an angel helping out the forest creatures.

This is fledging season, when a lot of baby birds risk injury or shock. If people find a baby bird on the ground but alive, the thing to do is to put it in a dark quiet box (with gaps so it can breathe), then call PAWS: 425-412-4040. This is their wildlife number, open 8-8 seven days a week, and they’ll tell you what to do. Everyone, put this number in your cellphones!

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Sneak peek at ‘Year of the Seal’ sculpture; May 13th meeting
May 2, 2013 10:56 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | Wildlife

The image is courtesy of Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey, who has an update on the sculpture in the works for their “Year of the Seal” project (first announced in January) – and your chance to come to a meeting about it on May 13th:

Seal Sitters’ educational outreach project Year of the Seal, made possible by a Seattle Department of Neighborhoods grant, is making great strides. Following a public Call to Artists and Selection Panel review, prominent Northwest bronze artist Georgia Gerber was chosen to create a full-scale sculpture of a harbor seal mom and pup. Georgia is shown here at work on the centerpiece of the project, which is designed to raise awareness about our fragile marine ecosystem.

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Updated with video: ‘Orcas of the World’ in The Whale Trail’s spotlight
April 25, 2013 8:39 pm
|    Comments Off on Updated with video: ‘Orcas of the World’ in The Whale Trail’s spotlight
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

8:39 PM ‘HAPPENING NOW’ REPORT: It’s one of those nights when The Whale Trail turns inland – to C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) for the ongoing series of presentations about whales and other marine life. Thanks to “Diver Laura” James for sharing photos again – here’s tonight’s featured presenter, Uko Gorter, talking about “Orcas of the World“:

Big crowd again:

Watch The Whale Trail’s website for news of the next event!

ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: Thanks to Laura for also sharing video, if you couldn’t get there last night:

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West Seattle coyotes – and other urban wildlife – on Highland Park Action Committee agenda Wednesday night
April 23, 2013 6:19 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Coyotes | Highland Park | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Video sent by Bob Mohr, recorded by son Jack, in Genesee Hill around sunset Monday, between 55th/54th/Genesee/Dakota)
While that short clip of a coyote on the run in a West Seattle neighborhood – watch the sidewalk at :25 and :40 – isn’t from Highland Park, that neighborhood’s plan to talk about coyotes and other urban wildlife tomorrow night would seem to be of interest to all. A federal wildlife biologist is on the Highland Park Action Committee‘s agenda, 7 pm Wednesday at HP Improvement Club (12th/Holden), and all are welcome. Also on the agenda: The proposed Duwamish River cleanup plan, and why, with a month left for public comment, it should matter to you.

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Earth Day and beyond: What to do if you spot a honey-bee swarm
April 22, 2013 12:58 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Honey-bee swarm photographed in Genesee last year by Ute Herzel-Harding)
On this Earth Day, here’s a simple way to take action – save this information about what to do if you encounter a honey-bee swarm. Don’t panic – don’t be afraid – do report them to beekeepers who can give them a new home, which is what some bees are looking for at this time of year. Here’s expert advice from Puget Sound Beekeepers Association president Krista Conner, who happens to be a West Seattleite:

Puget Sound Beekeepers Association wants you to be prepared to help the bees!

With recent losses of bee populations worldwide, seeing a few bees around the garden is something to celebrate. But what do you do when a few thousand bees show up?

Most swarms are the size of a football, more or less.

Longer days bring a surge of blooming trees and flowers which create a short window of time for healthy honey bee colonies to split and create new colonies. This split happens when honey bees swarm: roughly 10-15 thousand bees and their queen will leave an existing colony and land upon a tree branch or side of building. Once there, this mass of bees can resemble a very large pine cone or football shaped mass. Swarming is the natural process that honey bee hives go through to create new colonies and spread their genetics to new locations.

Honey bee swarms are vulnerable outside the hive to weather, animals and more importantly people. They need to find a new home quickly. In a rural setting this is usually a hollow tree but in the city with loss of habitat this can take the form of a wall or attic of a house where they become a problem for homeowners.

If you encounter a swarm it is important to remain calm and to call a beekeeper quickly before the bees leave to a new home or take up residence in an undesirable location. It is important to not kill or disturb the honey bees by spraying pesticides or even water on them.

Puget Sound Beekeepers Association offers the community a “swarm list” – a list of beekeepers who are willing to collect swarms. The swarm list should be your first resource to manage a honey bee swarm. Swarm collection usually is provided for free if the bees are within easy reach and are not inside a wall or house. Follow the directions on the list for confirming help is on the way. While you wait for the beekeeper, the best thing you can do is get your camera ready and make sure people stay 10-15 feet away from the swarm.

When a beekeeper arrives they will remove the swarm by transferring them into a hive box. Bees in a swarm are less likely to sting because they have nothing to defend and are gorged with honey so they have energy to build a new colony. The beekeeper may work bare-handed or in a full suit to transfer the football sized swarm of bees into a hive with a shake of a branch or by the handful if they are on a wall. Once the majority of the bees are in the hive the beekeeper will wait for any stray bees to find their way into the hive box before closing the hive up to take to their new home.

Here and anywhere in the greater Seattle area, please refer to the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association swarm list to find a swarm-catching beekeeper: pugetsoundbees.org/psba-swarm-list

Thanks for helping the bees!
Puget Sound Beekeepers Association

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Seal Sitters’ youngest volunteers become a national cover story
April 20, 2013 11:19 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people | Wildlife

More than half a million classrooms around the country are reading about West Seattle’s seal pups and young Seal Sitters volunteers who help watch out for them. They’re the cover story of the Earth Day edition of Scholastic News, as Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey reports on Blubberblog. As she points out, Seal Sitters is “one of the few marine-mammal stranding networks that encourage children to join …”; a third-grader volunteer named Noemi is shown in the Scholastic News story. Robin tells WSB, “Noemi and our kid Seal Sitters inspire us all!” (To find out how to volunteer – and how to reach Seal Sitters if you spot a marine mammal on a local beach – go here.)

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The Whale Trail’s next event introduces you to ‘Orcas of the World’
April 18, 2013 4:55 pm
|    Comments Off on The Whale Trail’s next event introduces you to ‘Orcas of the World’
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Our local orcas have cousins all over the world! Find out about them during the fourth event in The Whale Trail‘s series of presentations: “Uko Gorter: Orcas of the World – An overview of the diversity of Orcinus orca.” It’s one week from tonight, according to the official announcement:

Orcas (killer whales) are one of the most widespread mammals in the world. Like humans, they exhibit unique cultural and even morphological differences.

Join us for this presentation by scientific illustrator Uko Gorter (also the president of the American Cetacean Society’s Puget Sound chapter), who will discuss the diversity of orcas around the globe. Spectacular photos highlight the subtle (and not so subtle) difference in appearance, unique behavior, and prey preferences between the many orca populations. Some differences are so great, they may lead to a taxonomic revisions and determination of new species and/or subspecies of orca. Uko will also discuss his collaboration with with biologists Bob Pitman, John Durban, and Andy Foote to create a poster of orca ecotypes and forms.

—–
Where: C & P Coffee Company, 5621 California SW
When: Thursday April 25, 7 – 9 (doors open 6:30)
Cost: $5 suggested donation, kids free.
–Tickets available at brownpapertickets.com

Buy tickets early and we will save you a seat! The event also features updates from Robin Lindsey (Seal Sitters), and “Diver Laura” James (tox-ick.org and Puget Soundkeeper Alliance), and photography and art from Judy Lane and Mike Russell.

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Seahurst fin whale update: Towed away tonight
April 16, 2013 9:59 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
9:59 PM: Call it “moving day.” Or – night. At Burien’s Seahurst Park, the partial fin-whale carcass that washed up on Saturday is to be moved tonight.

WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams was there throughout the day as it was prepared for the move.

We’ll add more of Nick’s photos later tonight, as well as an update on tonight’s planned move.

11:23 PM UPDATE: Robin Lindsey from West Seattle-based Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network tells WSB, “I just heard from NOAA and the whale is officially off the beach and the tow is underway…

“A good day today with a lot of education on the beach in a team effort. … The whale is being taken to a remote location for natural decomposition and collection of the skull at a later date for educational and research purposes.” Watch for a post on the SS site tomorrow.

10:21 AM WEDNESDAY: The city of Burien, whose park system includes Seahurst, says the removal operation cost it $3,100. Meantime, the aforementioned post by Robin is up; she writes that the whale’s remains are now at the location where they’ll decompose naturally.

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Seahurst whale updates: No more touching; no removal plan yet
April 15, 2013 8:11 pm
|      30 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news | Wildlife

With everything else that’s been happening today, the saga of the dead fin whale at Seahurst Park slid out of the spotlight, but we do have two updates tonight: First, its resting place on the beach has finally been cordoned off to end the spate of illegal touching – thanks to “Diver Laura” James for allowing us to share her photo. Second, authorities are facing extra logistical challenges in trying to remove it, including those posed by what the whale’s carcass is missing – Robin Lindsey from Seal Sitters has been talking with federal and local officials and has an update online here. If you missed the previous coverage, the whale – missing about half of its body, not all lengthwise, so it’s still more than 50 feet long – washed up at Seahurst this past Saturday morning; researchers believe it was hit by a ship, but that might have happened many miles away.

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Seahurst whale: After 2 days of crowds, decision ahead on its fate
April 15, 2013 3:22 am
|      30 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
There may be a decision today on what will, or won’t, be done with the dead fin whale (an endangered species) that has drawn hundreds to the shore of Burien’s Seahurst Park the past two days. WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams returned to the beach on Sunday and shows us a scene of tributes and mourning as well as curiosity. Among those bringing flowers, 7-year-old Faith Hunter:

There was also the smelly reality of a multi-ton carcass, as Lucas Brooks noticed:

Some simply stood quietly to observe, and pay respects:

Fishing buddies Kyle Thope, right, and Corey Wiggins took a closeup look:

Ruby Rose (photo below) said she was gleaning information from the whale.

She told Nick, “I can receive information through my heart and my hands, and sometimes my third eye. … Whales are living libraries downloading information to me.” Others learned from the scene in a more conventional manner – Steve Knapp was there with his 7-year-old daughter Sera:

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Fin whale at Seahurst Park: Researchers’ update; Seal Sitters’ assistance; more photos
April 14, 2013 9:40 am
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Saturday photos by Nick Adams for WSB, unless otherwise credited)
Dead or alive, an endangered fin whale is a rare sight in Puget Sound. So the one that turned up dead at Seahurst Park in Burien on Saturday (here’s our previous report) was something Jesavel Garcia said she would tell her grandchildren about – the reason why she took a self-portrait with the whale in the background. She had company:

And for researchers, it was quite a sight as well:

Up close, you could see its baleen:

(Photo by David Hutchinson)
That photo is courtesy of David Hutchinson, who was one of the volunteers from West Seattle-based Seal Sitters who went to the scene; Robin Lindsey has written about it on the group’s Blubberblog site. More photos and information ahead – including troubled waters for funding of response and research in cases like this:

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Dead fin whale washes up at Burien’s Seahurst Park
April 13, 2013 4:16 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photos courtesy Isa Sorensen)
Since we report so often about marine mammals here on WSB, we’re mentioning this even though it’s south of our coverage area, after getting a call from someone who wanted to make sure we knew about it: A fin whale has washed up on the beach at Seahurst Park in Burien; KIRO TV quotes experts as saying they believe it died after being hit by a vessel. Isa Sorensen gave us permission to share some of his photos.

Coincidentally, tomorrow will mark exactly three years to the day since a gray whale stranded and died off southwesternmost West Seattle, in The Arroyos. That’s less than four miles from Seahurst, if you were going by water. KIRO says Cascadia Research Collective will do the necropsy; it has researched other such cases in years past (including one in Tacoma in 2009). Fin whales, by the way, are rare in Puget Sound – so rare, they’re not even on The Whale Trail’s list of commonly sighted species;

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West Seattle sea life: Keep your distance – it’s the law
March 31, 2013 4:08 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photo by Robin Lindsey)
It’s a beautiful day on the water and a beautiful day for wildlife watching – if you keep your distance, and that’s a required-by-law 100 yards. Robin Lindsey from Seal Sitters shared the photo and asked us to help get that reminder out – please don’t get so close to those sea-lion-laden buoys on the bay:

It was like a flotilla out there yesterday and lots of watercraft around them today, too. While it is tempting to get closer, people need to remember that all marine mammals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Sea lions and seals need to rest and regulate their body temperature. That is exactly what a huge Steller sea lion bull and a jostling gang of sea lions, mostly male California sea lions, are doing on the buoys. Our Eastern stock of Stellers are considered “threatened,” while the Western stock that lives in Alaska and Russian waters is indeed “endangered.”

Watercraft violating this federal law are being photographed and the images are being sent to NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement. A Steller bull is a huge animal, weighing up to a ton, and if provoked could leap off and injure someone. It is only common sense that a kayaker not get within feet of the buoy as they were doing yesterday. Alki Kayak Tours is doing a great job of informing their renters to steer clear of the buoy, but others may not be aware that getting too close not only causes undue stress on the animals, but is a violation of the MMPA and punishable by fine.

We want people to get out on the water and enjoy wildlife – from a respectful distance.

Want to know more about marine mammals? Here’s the Seal Sitters’ resource-links page.

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Miss The Whale Trail’s porpoise talk? See the video!
March 31, 2013 1:47 pm
|    Comments Off on Miss The Whale Trail’s porpoise talk? See the video!
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Thanks to “Diver Laura” James for sharing video of researcher John Calambokidis‘s harbor-porpoises presentation from the latest in The Whale Trail‘s series of talks, this past Thursday night at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). Another good turnout – click the image to see a larger version of this panorama:

This was the third in TWT’s new series of events, also featuring other local advocates (such as Laura, for tox-ick.org and Puget SoundKeeper Alliance, and Seal Sitters – whose David Hutchinson is in the panorama, standing by a camera, of course). We’re checking with TWT’s Donna Sandstrom to see what’s next on the schedule; you can also watch the Whale Trail calendar for future additions.

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Next Whale Trail event set: ‘Harbor Porpoises in the Salish Sea’
March 21, 2013 12:01 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photo courtesy John Calambokidis)
Your next chance to join The Whale Trail and friends in learning about local marine life is one week from tonight. From TWT’s Donna Sandstrom:

Harbor porpoises were once commonly seen throughout the Salish Sea. After falling to record lows, sightings are on the increase. Is the population coming back? Scientists recently gathered to discuss what we know – and don’t know – about these elusive animals. What is their range? What do they eat? Like their cousins the orcas, harbor porpoise are an indicator species for the health of Puget Sound. How are they doing?

Join us for on March 28 at C & P Coffee for the next Orca Talk, featuring John Calambokidis, founder and director of Cascadia Research. John and his colleague Jessie Huggins are leaders in the transboundary effort to assess and monitor the health of the harbor porpoise population in the Salish Sea. John is a renowned biologist who directs long-term research on the status, movements, and underwater behavior of blue, humpback, and gray whales. In 2010, John conducted the necropsy on the gray whale that stranded on Arroyo Beach in West Seattle.

The event is scheduled 6:30-9 pm, $5 suggested donation, tickets available at brownpapertickets.com. Along with the guest speaker and The Whale Trail, Donna adds, “The event also features updates from Robin Lindsey (Seal Sitters), and ‘Diver Laura’ James (tox-ick.org and Puget Soundkeeper Alliance), and photography and art from Judy Lane and Mike Russell.”

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West Seattle wildlife: Be on the lookout for seal pup Shamrock
March 20, 2013 8:03 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | Wildlife

From Robin Lindsey at Seal Sitters:

We have a little seal pup who is on the move in West Seattle and hope that the community will be on the lookout for her. She is nicknamed Shamrock and first came ashore on St. Patrick’s Day at Jack Block Park. Monday she was in two locations and Tuesday was further around the peninsula at Emma Schmitz Viewpoint (see photo). Shamrock appeared thinner (Tuesday) and we encourage waterfront owners to please give our hotline a call @ 206-905-7325 (SEAL) if you have a pup on your beach. She may well end up at Lowman Beach or Lincoln Park over the next day or so. (More on Blubberblog.)

Meantime, “Rehab Ruby” is still enjoying the safe haven of Jack Block Park – a truly great story that shows how caring our West Seattle residents are. She seems to have found a new friend, so we are encouraged that she has learned to socialize and integrate with other seals. You can read about Ruby here.

Shamrock’s visit to Emma Schmitz Viewpoint is also featured on Beach Drive Blog.

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