Update: Seal Sitters sculpture installation on Alki

| West Seattle news | Wildlife | WS culture/arts

9:56 AM: With early-morning help from Seal Sitters volunteers, a life-size bronze sculpture of a harbor-seal mother and pup is now at its permanent home on the east end of the Alki Beach promenade. The work started early this morning and isn’t done yet – sculptor Georgia Gerber came from Whidbey Island to make sure her creation made it safely into its spot:

The sculpture, funded by grants and donations, is part of the Year of the Seal project, explained here. We’ll be revisiting the installation site later for an update; we’re told it’ll be fenced off for a while so that part of the materials can “set.” More to come.

ADDED: As promised, we went back to check:

We found volunteers Ralph and Betty in the process of what you might call sculpture-sitting; the installation will remain taped off until sometime Friday.

Jennifer August 22, 2013 (10:53 am)

Beautiful! I can’t wait to see it in person!!

sarelly August 22, 2013 (11:05 am)

Very cool. Nice! What a great contribution to the community. Can’t wait to see it in person.

myhood August 22, 2013 (11:33 am)

Very cute!

Heather August 22, 2013 (11:36 am)

Oh how wonderful! Having never seen a seal pup in person I was shocked at how camouflaged the pups are on the beach (it makes sense) from a photo the WSB posted. I think this is a great way to ‘show’ that this is an active ‘nesting site’.

WSB August 22, 2013 (11:45 am)

Heather – if you are ever somewhere near the shore and happen to see some yellow “police tape” – it might be a sign of Seal Sitters keeping watch. TYesterday afternoon, I was driving along an open stretch of Beach Drive yesterday when I spotted it, and luckily had a minute to pull over and take a quick look – the pup was in view from the sidewalk – just ask one of the volunteers to point it out if you happen onto something similar, and talk very quietly :) – TR

Blinkyjoe August 22, 2013 (12:20 pm)

Very cool! I just hope it doesn’t get tagged. That would be sad.

payrollgirl August 22, 2013 (12:57 pm)

I was just wondering where this was, I thought it had already been installed and was looking for it. Can you tell me though is it by the bath house?
I’m going to take a peek at it tonight after work and at the pup if it’s still there…I promise to be quite and not touch!

WSB August 22, 2013 (1:28 pm)

Yes, the east end of the promenade is the bathhouse – aka, where the asphalt ends and the sand begins.

LatteRose August 22, 2013 (1:22 pm)

Love it!

Silly Goose August 22, 2013 (2:17 pm)

AAHH this is gorgeous, love it we are so lucky to have this art piece in West Seattle.

Diane V August 22, 2013 (3:20 pm)

Wonderful-Our family will go see it tonight!

payrollgirl August 22, 2013 (4:21 pm)

WSB thank you for the “where it’s located”

Star 55 August 22, 2013 (4:57 pm)

Just saw it and it is beautiful. What a wonderful addition to Alki.

CanDo August 22, 2013 (4:57 pm)

Fantastic!

Seal lubber August 22, 2013 (7:56 pm)

Gorgeous how lucky! I wish it were up high and protected though.

evergreen August 22, 2013 (8:31 pm)

beautiful!

Fregirl August 23, 2013 (11:03 pm)

Love seeing such beautiful, community driven,locally created art on Alki. It’s also supposed to be a place for families to sit and kids to clamor over and learn from. And we ale way saw a family playing at the sculpture rocks the other day even before the seals were there! Maybe it will inspire people to litter less nearby and maybe even remind a few folks we share the shore and to be more careful, leash their dogs and be more considerate of the wildlife.