Sea lion comeback seen as sign of WA's Puget Sound recovery
Barking Comeback: Sea Lions reflect resilience of Puget Sound ecosystem
Over the last several springs, the barking of California and Steller sea lions echoes across Shilshole Bay, as the massive marine mammals haul out onto docks and breakwaters, much to the delight—or dismay—of onlookers.
SEATTLE - They’re loud, a little stinky, and impossible to ignore.
"They cause a raucous out here," said Jarrod Carr, a dock worker at Shilshole Marina. "They just bark. You can hear them from everywhere really."
Over the last several springs, the barking of California and Steller sea lions echoes across Shilshole Bay, as the massive marine mammals haul out onto docks and breakwaters, much to the delight—or dismay—of onlookers.
While many marina residents find the sea lions disruptive, others not living in their wake see them as a portside attraction.
"Yeah, we wanted to come down and see the sea lions," said Jack Husband, a Shoreline dad visiting the marina with his children.
These sightings have become more common in recent years, prompting curiosity about whether sea lion populations are truly increasing or if it’s just a seasonal fluke.
Joe Gaydos, wildlife veterinarian and science director for the SeaDoc Society, says the increase is real and attributed in some part to hunting restrictions placed decades ago.
"In 1972 when we enacted the Marine Mammal Protection Act, those populations have very steadily been growing," said Gaydos. "As the population grows, they start to expand to areas we haven’t seen them for many years."
Gaydos sees their return as a milestone: "The fact that they’re coming back, that’s a conservation success story."
Some locals speculate that rising herring populations may be drawing sea lions into Puget Sound, but Gaydos says there’s no concrete data yet linking the two.
"It’s not for the weather, it’s definitely about the food that’s available to them here," he said, noting that sea lions are opportunistic eaters, feasting on herring, salmon, rockfish among other species.
"Herring are fatty fish," Gaydos explained. "They convert plankton into fat. You can almost light them on fire when you dry them out because they’re so fatty."
The backstory:
While the current crowd at Shilshole is noisy, it’s nothing compared to the sea lion saga at Ballard Locks in the mid-1980s.
Local historian Feliks Banel recounted the story of Herschel, a massive California sea lion who gorged on steelhead salmon outside the locks, using the feat of human engineering as his very own buffet.
"The salmon tried to return to Lake Washington to spawn," recalled Banel. "Herschel knew it was a perfect place to catch fish and eat to his heart’s delight."
The historian says reports from marine fisheries officials at the time showed Herschel could eat a fish every six minutes. Within a period of an hour and 20 minutes, they counted thirteen salmon consumed by the sole California sea lion.
Eventually, Herschel and his posse of ravenous sea lion friends became infamous.
"Everybody got on the bandwagon. TV stations, newspapers," said Banel. "They became more than just sea mammals, they became characters."
There were songs written about him, and elaborate attempts to chase him away. The federal government even authorized the use of a life-size artificial orca dubbed "Fake Willy," now on display at the Locks.
"The federal government did everything short of killing the sea lions," said Banel. "They did put some of them on a truck and hauled them back to California. But Herschel and his kin kept returning."
What's next:
As sea lion numbers rise again, some wonder if we’re headed for another Herschel moment—and what that means for local salmon runs.
"Now people are saying, ‘We have so many of them. Do we have too many?’" said Gaydos. "Are they eating up the fish that I want to eat? And I think that’s a natural question."
Still, Gaydos and Banel agree that sea lions aren’t the root of the issue.
"The ecosphere has been out of balance ever since humans—especially Europeans—came in great numbers and started harvesting fish," said Banel. "The sea lions aren’t really the problem. It’s the humans that are the problem."
The Source: Information in this story came from the SeaDoc Society, and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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