Shot harbor seal pup receives critical care at Washington rescue center

A three-week-old male harbor seal is in critical but stable condition at SeaLife Response, Rehab and Research in Des Moines after veterinarians found he had been shot in the head and left with a projectile lodged above his skull. The pup was rescued in Bellingham’s Smith Gardens tidal flats over the Fourth of July weekend.

SR3 says this is the third marine mammal the center has treated in less than a year for gunshot wounds, and the third seal pup shot in the head in that span. The two earlier cases involved adult harbor seals rescued in the Hood Canal area and near Quilcene; both later died from their injuries.

Casey McLean, SR3’s executive director and veterinary nurse, said the pup will keep receiving medication and specialized care. If the animal continues to improve, SR3 may perform a CT scan to determine whether surgery to remove the bullet is possible and to better assess the pup’s chances of survival. McLean said the organization hopes to return the seal to the wild.

The cases were forwarded to NOAA Law Enforcement and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Law Enforcement. Harbor seals are protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, which can bring fines and jail time for violations.

SR3 says the shootings may stem from a false belief that seals are driving salmon declines. Harbor seals eat more than 60 species of marine life, and removing seals would not solve salmon losses caused by broader environmental pressures. SR3 says the pup is the youngest marine mammal it has treated, and Washington’s harbor seal pupping season runs from May through September, when young animals are most vulnerable on local shorelines.