FOLLOWUP: About the dead sea lion at Lincoln Park

10:15 AM: Last week we mentioned a dead, decomposing sea lion that had been seen floating in West Seattle waters and then turned up on the beach at Lincoln Park. It’s still there, and we’re still getting calls about it. Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network says it’s so large that Seattle Parks will need heavy equipment to remove it. We’ve been trying to find out about Parks’ plan and finally heard back late last night: A crew was planning to go out today to assess the situation and figure out what to do. They promised to let us know what the crew decides, so we hope to have an update later.

12:41 PM: Parks says the crew determined it’s too big to remove with the equipment they have in the area so “they are asking our Heavy Equipment crews to help. However, the renderer will not be able to get out until Thursday because of other commitments and tides.” (“The renderer” is for carcass disposition, as was also done with a dead seal at Alki last week.)

29 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: About the dead sea lion at Lincoln Park"

  • Eric1 December 14, 2021 (10:31 am)

    Call ODOT. I hear they know how to take care of things like this. 

    • WSB December 14, 2021 (10:50 am)

      No exploding sea lions, thankyouverymuch. When I got to Seattle in ’91 and went to work at my first TV employer, I swear they showed me that clip from the sibling station in Portland the very first day … orientation to Northwest quirkiness.

      • 1000amys December 14, 2021 (11:49 am)

        Isn’t that the best story, though? People are like, are you making that up? Nope. Not at all. My kids were like, how could they have thought that was a good idea? How did they not think there would be debris? I’m so glad there’s video. 

      • Pessoa December 14, 2021 (1:09 pm)

        “Quirkiness” doesn’t do it  full justice.  It’s a sort of Darwinian Galapagos Island effect due to relative geographical isolation.   

  • HBB December 14, 2021 (11:23 am)

    Yesterday the carcass was on the beach north of the pool. A few days ago it was south of the pool. I suppose it’s possible it will drift off somewhere before Parks can deal with it (which would probably make the Parks folks pretty happy). 

    • WSB December 14, 2021 (11:51 am)

      That’s why they hadn’t done anything sooner – when I heard back from Parks’ spokesperson last night, she said the crew had a look over the weekend and it was back afloat, but I told her that as of reports we’d received late yesterday and again this morning, it was back on the beach.

  • anonyme December 14, 2021 (11:46 am)

    Cause of death?

    • Kersti Elisabeth Muul December 14, 2021 (6:01 pm)

      Shot in head

      • CAM December 14, 2021 (6:38 pm)

        I thought they had caught and charged some people with that when it was happening before or am I remembering a better world than actually existed? Not that there can’t be other offenders out there I guess. 

  • cga December 14, 2021 (12:34 pm)

    Still north of the pool, very bloated and turning pink. Tide was quite low earlier this morning, and the body was pressed against the sea wall, resting on the sand. A good portion of those out walking or running noticed. And why again, is it taking a week?

    • SAD December 14, 2021 (3:15 pm)

      It is expensive and dangerous to dispose of it.  I appreciate letting nature take the lead & sad as it is to see (& smell), I would rather parks people not have to remove it ….& certainly don’t want them risking themselves to do so to meet your arbitrary schedule 

  • benjamin December 14, 2021 (1:27 pm)

    BLOW IT UP! BLOW IT UP!  

  • Brian D December 14, 2021 (4:04 pm)

    Why not tow it out to the middle of the Sound and sink it with a weight?  Isn’t that what they’ve done with whales over the past few years?

    • Kersti Elisabeth Muul December 14, 2021 (6:02 pm)

      It has to be a certain water depth and a permit is required

  • David Hutchinson December 14, 2021 (6:41 pm)

    Last week, at Seal Sitters request, SR3 was able to x-ray this California sea lion carcass on site in Lincoln Park. The results which confirm that the animal had been shot will be turned over to the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement. Seattle Parks is working on removing the carcass from the beach, a difficult job requiring heavy equipment and dependent on the location and tides.

  • El jefe' December 14, 2021 (9:11 pm)

    Problem animal is usually the cause for the bullet in the head. The stewards of the resource handle the situation themselves. It is their right ya know. 

    • Auntie December 14, 2021 (10:52 pm)

      Wait, wait – are you saying it’s OK for someone who feels he/she is a steward of the resource (I’m guessing the salmon) to shoot the “problem animal?” Um, I don’t think so.

    • CAM December 14, 2021 (11:23 pm)

      Shooting a sea lion is a federal crime and not a legally authorized way to manage resources.

    • anonyme December 15, 2021 (6:20 am)

      There’s only one “problem animal” on this planet, and it walks on two legs.  Greed is not a justification for hoarding of “resources”, nor the slaughter of creatures who need those resources to survive.

      • Ron Swanson December 15, 2021 (10:24 am)

        Yeah, the resident orcas need those salmon to survive.  Good to see people taking the initiative to help them out.  

        • Mermaid December 16, 2021 (10:46 pm)

          Not the right way to help salmon and orcas.

          For those interested in helping endangered salmon and orcas:

          https://www.wildsalmon.org/

  • mermaid December 15, 2021 (6:20 am)

    Hope this sea lion may be respectfully returned to the sea; And those responsible for his violent death will be brought to justice. These shootings are cruel and disgusting.

  • anonyme December 15, 2021 (6:42 am)

    It seems like the carcass could have been cut up and used to feed animals at the zoo, especially as it has been established that disease was not the cause of death. 

    • Brian December 18, 2021 (10:20 am)

      You should definitely walk down the path and assess it with your own nose. That thing is bloated and ripe. It’s fit for crabs and crows… maybe hyenas. 

  • Dustin December 16, 2021 (7:10 am)

    Who killed it? And why? 

  • Ophelia Benson December 24, 2021 (7:01 am)

    Any recent news? I saw a sea lion corpse off Centennial Park (near the grain terminal) yesterday, and I’m smelling it this morning from Queen Anne hill. I’m hoping there haven’t been two shot in the head.

Sorry, comment time is over.