On Christmas Day, a partially decomposed California sea lion washed ashore on a private West Seattle beach. Before a necropsy could be arranged, the animal was swept back into Puget Sound. It drifted along the shoreline for days until it finally landed 2 miles north at Constellation Park on New Year’s Eve.

Seal Sitters MMSN First Responder David Hutchinson coordinated with Seattle Parks who agreed to dispose of the carcass so that a limited necropsy could be done on the animal. Orca Researcher Mark Sears offered to tow the carcass to Don Armeni boat ramp since no disposal was possible on the public beach. Casey McLean of SR3 performed the necropsy today with the assistance of SS First Responder David Delgado, removing the head for radiographs to try to determine if the animal had been shot.

A second sea lion which stranded dead on November 25 had already been confirmed dead by gunshot. A large projectile was removed from the body, having done significant internal damage to organs and bone.

Results from today’s necropsy will be posted on this blog when the X-rays have been completed.

UPDATE 1/9/20
Radiographs have revealed projectiles in the head of the Christmas Day sea lion. Fragments from the skull will be turned over as evidence to NOAA Office of Law Enforcement.

Tags: shot sea lion, human interference