Dead Sea Lion Shot Multiple Times on West Seattle Beach

An adult male California sea lion, estimated at 700 pounds, was discovered dead on a beach at the mouth of the Duwamish River in West Seattle after being shot at least a dozen times. The animal was found this month following a report to Seal Sitters, a volunteer group that responds to sick, injured, entangled or dead marine mammals.

New York Times

SR3, a marine-wildlife rescue and research organization, performed radiographs of the head and identified multiple bullets lodged in the cranium, including seven hits to the head. Researchers said the shots were fired from close range, and the size of the animal prevented a full necropsy or complete radiograph. Because disposing of a carcass of this size requires an EPA permit and costly transport, SR3 left the body to decompose on the beach.

The Spokesman-Review

In July, Representative Michael Baumgartner introduced the Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2026 (Bill 9621). The bill would allow a federal agency to issue permits for “lethal removal” of sea lions and seals in Washington waters to protect endangered salmon and steelhead, a practice supporters claim reduces predation on threatened fish stocks.

New York Times

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which enforces the Marine Mammal Protection Act, could not be reached for comment.

New York Times

The shooting is not an isolated event; recent reports note beheaded sea lions on San Francisco beaches and a baby seal shot in Bellingham. Advocates for salmon fisheries note that salmon support nearly 23,000 commercial fishing jobs and generate about $1.5 billion in annual economic activity, but Mclean emphasized that no scientific evidence links sea-lion predation to salmon declines.

New York TimesThe Spokesman-Review

• “He was so large that we couldn’t fit even parts of his body on our radiograph plate,” — Casey Mclean, executive director of SR3 and a licensed veterinary technician

New York Times