Marine mammal harassment leads to deadly interaction
SEATTLE - From boats getting too close to whales to beachgoers disturbing harbor seal pups, marine mammal harassment is a major problem this summer, according to experts.
The human interactions have been dangerous and in at least one case, deadly.
Port Townsend Marine Science Center said a harbor seal pup had to be euthanized after someone put it in a plastic bin filled with water at North County Beach Park. Because of its condition and injuries, the pup had to be euthanized.
Other seal pups harassed or disturbed by humans this summer have had to be sent to a rehabilitation center, which will make surviving in the wild more difficult since they will lack hunting experience.
“We’ve had more calls coming in about people interacting with stranded seal pups in the past month than we’ve had in the past two years combined so we’ve got a lot more interaction,” said Betsy Carlson, citizen science coordinator for Port Townsend Marine Science Center.
While human interaction is detrimental to seal pups, law enforcement believe humans are coming from a good place when they see what they believe to be an abandoned seal pup.
“Ninety percent of the time or greater, it’s a person who is really caring for the animal and they’re trying to what they think is right, just not knowing that what they’re doing may be causing more harm than good,” said Alan Myers, a captain with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement.
While a seal pup may look abandoned on a beach, wildlife experts say typically the mother purposefully left it to forage for food and plans to return.
But when humans interact with the pup or get too close, the mother will not return until she is confident the threat is gone and may not return at all.
Carlson said she believes pup harassment is up this year because people are pent up over the pandemic and seeking more outdoor activities. Some may be coming across a seal pup for the first time, while more seasoned outdoor enthusiasts know to leave them alone. Marine mammals are also protected by law.
While pup harassment appears to have increased, Myers said boat violations are about on pace with last summer. However, with new state laws increasing boat distance around endangered southern resident orcas, he said it’s important for boaters to be educated on the rules of the water.
Shocking video near Fox Island earlier this month showed private boaters getting way too close to a group of transient orcas, an encroachment that is now under investigation by federal authorities.
While it wasn’t the endangered orca pod, the interaction was dangerous nevertheless.
“Since most people don’t know the difference between a transient orca or a southern resident orca, we really caution folks to treat them all as a southern resident,” Myers said.
While federal law says boaters must give transient orcas a 200-yard buffer, southern resident orcas get extra room, 300 yards on the side and 400 yards in front or behind. Violators can be cited and fined, but law enforcement said that’s usually reserved for egregious cases. Most often, law enforcement tries to educate on the rules.
For more information on Be Whale Wise rules on the water, click here. For more information on reporting a stranded marine mammal, click here.
This harbor seal pup was put in a plastic bin filled with water and left on North Beach County Park in Port Townsend last week. Port Townsend Marine Science Center responded and because of its condition and injuries, the pup had to be euthanized. Pho