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. 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...”
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Alki and Bailey have been enjoying a very relaxing extended stay at their exclusive West Seattle beach ~ they swim a little, bask a little, swim a little, bask a little. The two seal pups have been coming and going all day and evening today, keeping Seal Sitters on their toes moving tape and cones. All in all, a very healthy sign that the pups are gaining strength from their long beach siestas. Alki (shown at left) is looking stronger every day and is easily identified by a little nick on his nose.

So, how do we identify the pups to keep track of their haulout patterns and health? Read More...

Alki and Bailey both returned to our shores today. Bailey hauled out in the morning and then again late in the afternoon. Bailey returned to the water around 7 pm.

Much to the relief of Seal Sitters, Alki looked much better than yesterday and returned for a very long snooze. Weaned pups have a very tough time of it. Fish are hard for young pups to catch and, as a result of low body weight, they become more vulnerable to parasites and viruses. Here we see Alki stretching in the sun soon after hauling out this afternoon, safely cordoned off by Seal Sitters. The posture exhibited here by Alki is an excellent indication of improved health. As of 9 pm he is still resting comfortably ~ watched over, of course, by our volunteers. And special thanks to Dan and his Parks team for their help today.

Seal Sitters had another long day today as two pups hauled out in a very busy location. New volunteers gained experience educating the public and onlookers were excited and respectful. All in all, it was a good day for the pups who enjoyed many hours of much-needed rest on a sunny fall day. The very healthy and alert pup shown here was dubbed “Doc Bailey” by a young girl. The second pup named Alki by a young onlooker was quite thin and not as alert as we would hope. Photos are being analyzed to assess the health of the pup who returned to the water late afternoon. “Bailey” returned to the Sound about 6:15 pm.

It’s very possible that extraordinarily watchful Seal Sitters saved a nursing pup’s life last night on the beach. It was a beautiful late summer night, first weekend of school and a very active, crowded beach on Sept. 18th. A very tiny seal pup (2 ft. long and probably 4 weeks old) hauled out in the early afternoon in a dangerously public place – skateboarders, crowds of teenagers, cars roaring by, sirens, many people wanting to “get close for one cell phone photo.” This pup was so wide-eyed and vulnerable with no fear or savvy sense yet about humans. She was far away from the tide so did not have any quick escape if threatened. Without the yellow “Protected Marine Mammal” tape Seal Sitters used to cordon the pup off from crowds, a jogger or strollers might have tripped over her tiny body.

Though perfectly camouflaged by gravel and beach rocks, the pup still drew big, curious crowds. Seal Sitters were called and 8 new volunteers from our July training showed up for their first night of pup-sitting. New Seal Sitters were thrilled at this opportunity to watch over a wild animal sharing our beach.
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