FROM SEAL SITTERS: Watch for ‘weaners’ and other beach visitors

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Uno on Friday, photographed with a long lens by David Hutchinson)

See a seal on shore? Alert Seal Sitters! Here’s their newest update:

“Uno,” Seal Sitters’ first harbor seal response of 2018, has recently moved his favorite haulout spot from Lincoln Park to Elliott Bay. If anyone happens to see him or any other marine mammal on one of our West Seattle beaches, please contact the Seal Sitters’ Hotline at 206-905-SEAL (7325). We are having a bit of a flurry of weaned seals, anywhere from 4-6 months old, along West Seattle’s shoreline and it’s imperative they be given the space to rest and warm up. Sadly, the “weaner” Seal Sitters rescued from Lincoln Park on Thursday died overnight at the rehab facility and has been taken for necropsy.

Jeannie January 20, 2018 (6:59 pm)

And please, please keep your dogs off the beach! This little seal probably died of other causes, but our beloved canine pals can be a real threat to wildlife if unleashed and on the beach.

Also a reminder, especially during the tRump regime, that we need to fight water pollution and fight for the survival of salmon.

AIDM January 20, 2018 (8:05 pm)

Given the Nov 20th Seattle Times article (https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/orca-quandary-other-protected-species-are-eating-their-food-in-puget-sound/) on competition by seals for salmon that resident orcas eat, I’m surprised that seal sitters is still trying to boost the seal population above the Puget Sound’s carrying capacity.

I never did really see the scientific bases for SS given the fact that harbor seals returned to carrying capacity in 1983 following the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972.

WSB January 20, 2018 (8:19 pm)

More-thorough context here, especially toward the end.
https://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2017/11/22/orcas-and-seals-compete-for-a-limited-number-of-chinook-salmon/

Delridge Resident January 21, 2018 (10:51 am)

Yesterday morning, my husband and I missed getting a photo of a woman with an off leash dog on Alki as they were walking toward a seal that was about 100 ft off shore in the water. We deeply regret not capturing it as it happened, and only thought to take a picture after the dog was finally leashed. I was fumbling with my phone trying to find a number to call.

Noticing the dog off leash, and separated from her by the sea wall (the dog was on the shore below) we had informed her there was a seal. The response we received was “thank you”… It took her another 100 ft or so of walking much closer to the seal’s location until the dog came up the stairs to her and was leashed. She didn’t turn around and ask the dog to follow in the opposite direction. She didn’t step down to leash the dog. She kept walking toward the seal with the dog off leash.

We are frustrated every time we see a dog off leash and even more so in this case after the owner was told of the seal. A big thank you to all those out walking with your K9 buddies on leash yesterday morning.. There were many more respecting the rules than those who were not.

We want to see more frequent citations for broken rules like this and understand it’s probably not the highest priority. What can we do to bring attention to this issue and get the rules enforced more regularly?

NSAlki January 21, 2018 (1:38 pm)

As a dog owner, it is not fun to have random off leash dogs come up to your dog either. You have no idea how they are going to behave without their person. Or if they are going to run away and into traffic.

I also thought dogs were not allowed on the beach. We never take ours all the way out to the water. Leash laws exist for a reason.

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