Seal Sitters is very saddened to report that the little pup nicknamed “Alki” died Thursday morning at Jack Block Park. With the authorization of Port of Seattle authorities and NOAA, our volunteer recovered the body from a somewhat inaccessible beach in order that a necropsy be performed by Fish and Wildlife biologists. Alki was a weaned female, age 1-3 months. Seal Sitter volunteers watched over Alki day and night in a monumental effort to protect her from harm. We would like to thank J.D. of Port of Seattle for her assistance with the retrieval of Alki’s body for necropsy.

SS photographer Robin has posted her thoughts regarding this precious seal pup’s life and death:

“Upon examination, when Dyanna told me she could be only a month old, I was shocked. Even though I knew a pup could be weaned at 4 weeks and she was quite small, I was just taken aback. With Alki’s body in my car, I had cried virtually all the way down to Tacoma thinking if only we had been able to save her. After Dyanna's comment, I cried most of the way back home, thinking we probably could not have saved her, but humanity could have served her better.

I remember Tuesday morning at 4:14 am standing at the tape watching this little fuzzy shape in the gold glow of the street light and I looked up into a cobalt sky filled with stars. I immediately saw the Little Dipper and thought, that is my name for this little pup ~ a truly fitting name for a little seal. And as I looked across the water, as still as I have ever seen it, to the city skyline with its thousands of people, I thought how sad that they would never know this little pup. I felt so lucky to be standing there alone in the dark so close to such a pure and beautiful being. And I felt encouraged that she had showed more strength the day before.

So, when told she could be only 4 weeks old, I thought what a failure our species had been to her. We may well have been the only people she had ever seen. How sad that in her short time on our shore, she saw the best and worst of the human race. Love and wonder ~ and rage and resentment. Peace and strife all revolving around her tiny little presence on the boat ramp. I saw her take her last breath this morning. And when I was finally able to get access to the beach and lift her face to see if it was truly our Alki, I saw my reflection in her open eyes. That will be with me forever.

I have dealt with too many seal pup deaths over the last three years and and all are painful, but I no longer shed tears each time. But this one was very personal and particularly devastating, having shaken me to my core. I held her soft little body and told her how much she was loved by all of us.”

Tags: Alki