Just before 8 p.m. Sunday evening a sea lion (possibly a seal) came on shore at Golden Gardens near the Bathhouse.
Photo of sea lion before 8 p.m.
Curious and worried onlookers gathered around and watched as the animal collapsed a couple feet out of the water. After noticing a gash on its side, several people called animal control, NOAA and a seal help line, and others contacted a nearby police officer, who in turn contacted Fish and Wildlife.
Photo of sea lion at 9 p.m.
As night fell and the crowd dispersed, the sea lion lay nearly motionless — except for a moment when a TV photographer shined a light on it, and it climbed a few more feet up the beach. Two onlookers remained behind, including Katherine Lewis, who gathered sticks and logs to create a makeshift barrier around the animal, to keep curious people a safe distance away.
“At the beginning, there were so many people watching, and they were very, very close to him,” said Lewis. “I wish that more people were like, what can we do, we shouldn’t be that close to him, let’s give him some space.”
As of 9:30 p.m., a police officer on scene was waiting to hear back from Fish and Wildlife to see if they would respond at night, or wait until the morning hours. “We’re hopeful that he’s just needing to take a rest here and head back out into the water,” Lewis said. We’ll keep you updated.
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It's too bad people don't care as much about people as they do about animals.
We do!
Dude, it's not like the sea lion washed ashore sticking of malt liquor, asked for a buck, yelled when people ignored him and then pee'd on the library when no one was watching. He doesn't seem to have any entitlement issues.
there's signs all over the beach telling people to stay away from sea-lions.
no one should need to build a little barrier for this purpose. might as well put the animal in a cage then.
Oh please Jim. How can you actually have a problem with people caring about an injured animal? It's sad that people like you exist who are actually opposed to compassion. Giving a damn is a much better response to an injured animal OR person than apathy. Also whose to say these same people wouldn't help out an injured person if they needed it?
where's that 'Costanza' guy? isn't he a marine biologist?
that sea lion just had a golf ball lodged in it's throat.
Myballard headlines sure to generate hits
“Hobo Sea Lion washes ashore in Ballard: Demands local church sets up camp for homeless sea lions”
“Sea Lion on fixie crashes while riding down Shilshole: threatens to sue Ballard Chamber of Commerce”
“Sea lion youth tag anything Scandavians love”
“Sea lions hang out a Ballard Commons: pass gas and smell like herring”
It is not necessary to freak out about an injured marine mammal on the beach. Call animal control and they will take care of it. It is hardly necessary to guard it and a huge crowd of people can only upset the animal.
On the other hand a huge amount of child abuse goes completely ignored.
“Sea lion Condo opens, with tanning salon and new Starbucks: replaces 100 year old Swedish diner”
“Boutique for sea lions opens: Skinny jeans special”
It must be tough being you, linking something as innocent as human curiousity and compassion for wildlife with people who abuse kids. Your days must be filled with nightmarish visions everytime you see people doing something other than caring for abused kids.
Didn't you hear Barfly? Anyone who cares for an injured sea lion, clearly doesn't like abused kids. The logic is so obvious! Only a moron could miss it!
Damn…
so I'm a moron then…
“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.”
– Mark Twain
I'm incredibly sick of hearing this ridiculous type of reasoning:
people care about X
it is more important to care about Y
so by implication there is something wrong with people who care about X more than Y.
Of course caring about everyone and everything is the ideal, but at least these people are caring about SOMETHING. Caring about things is good, and just because it might be less good than caring about something else does not make it bad.
Doing some good is miles better than doing none, so let's give this tired criticism a rest.
What??? She was caging the injured sean lion by laying out sticks to help keep people who were ignoring (or didn't read) the signs a reason distance away from it???
This and that first comment above about not caring about people enough … is it national sniff some glue day?
why did I visit Myballard this morning … I'm going to work.
Bible thumping rocker sea lion cheat on too fat spouse with devil ray. Local dolphins outraged.
It's the kind of 'logic' most people grow out of by the time they are 18; 22 if they are late bloomers. Sadly, a lot of adults in Seattle think this way late into life.
On a related note, here's hoping common sense will rule today and the city council passes the ban on aggressive panhandling for herring by stoned sea lions.
Ahem, to get myballard hits, you need to be sure it's a “Mars Hill sea lion”.
“a huge amount of child abuse goes completely ignored”
Dude, maybe that's because there's not a lot of it going on on public beaches? Just a thought.
I know it's tough being a teenager, but eventually common sense will find a way to help even you.
Thanks everyone (especially Jim) for the reminder of why I don't bother to read the Comments section. A simple posting about an injured sea lion immediately becomes a war of rhetoric regarding social mores and values that have little if anything to do with a story about an injured sea mammal. Nothing like taking an immediate combative and argumentative position behind something this benign and incidental.
just imagine the outrage if the seal had managed to make it as far as the bike trail and then passout! oh the humanity!
Thank you, Captain Self-Referential!
Ark Ark Ark…
(Said the Sea Lion on a pedestal at the Circus with a ball balanced on its nose)
“Tired of freezing their a**** off, Ballard Sea Lion comes out in favor of global warming. Buys big SUV and stops donating to Sustainable Ballard”
Scientific research shows that humans who feel compassion for animals are also likely to show compassion for humans. Those who do not demonstrate feelings of compassion for animals are also much less likely to show compassion for humans.
Pretty strong scientific evidence that those who “care” about injured sea lions also “care” about abused children. However, those who show little compassion (ie make fun of those who care about animals) should probably be suspect, scientifically speaking.
People are stupid these days. I've seen people try to get within 1 or 2 feet of Seal Lions on the docks for a Cell Phone pic… or try to be all zen and sit super close the the animal. They ignore the animal barking or rearing up (displaying).