A rare sea lion that washed up in Marshall late last month caused concern among homeowners who were unsure how to handle the body. The 300 to 400-pound female Stellar sea lion—whose species is endangered in the western Pacific—was found dead on the beach of a bayside home on July 26.
“The funny thing about the whole story is that no one really had any idea what to do about it,” said the homeowner, who recently moved into her Marshall home. (She and her husband wished to remain anonymous due to concerns about their liability.) “I think there’s some confusion, even among the agencies, as to how to handle something like this… I guess it’s a very rare occurrence that this happens—our neighbors certainly said they’ve never heard of it.”
The couple called the Marine Mammal Center, which passed along the case to the California Academy of Sciences. The field biologist who examined the sea lion determined that its cause of death was unknown, and rolled the body into the water—but it subsequently returned, lodging under the house of the same residents who placed the call.
From San Mateo County to Mendocino County, the California Academy of Science’s department of ornithology and mammalogy—a participant in a federal research program called the Marine Mammal Stranding Network—is responsible for fielding reports of dead mammals. But according to curatorial assistant Sue Pemberton, who examined the sea lion in Marshall on July 28, field biologists like herself are solely tasked with collecting data. They are not required to dispose of the mammals.
“We don’t remove carcasses as a rule. It’s not our job,” Ms. Pemberton said. “That’s the responsibility of the landowner. But they don’t necessarily have to remove it.”
After collecting the sea lion’s data, Ms. Pemberton said she decided to take the skull to add to the academy’s scientific collection. She said this was why she took extra efforts to roll the body into the water: “I actually had some interaction with the animal, and I didn’t want to leave that mess for the homeowner.”
But the homeowners—who live in their bayside home part-time and were not there when Ms. Pemberton came to do the examination—recounted that they later found the body under a retaining wall beneath their house. And, without the turkey vultures “taking care of it” on the beach, the Marshall resident said “it was starting to smell, you know, horrendous… so much so, our dog wouldn’t even get out of the car.”
So the couple called the Marin County Sheriff’s Office for assistance, but were directed back to the Marine Mammal Center. After placing more unsuccessful calls to local rescue services—including one to the Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue hotline—they eventually found someone with a motorboat who agreed to tow the sea lion to a place where the outgoing tide would take her out to sea.
But the first attempt to remove the sea lion with the motorboat, on Aug. 4, was unsuccessful. Someone called the Sheriff’s Office that day to say they had spotted “a dark gray or black overturned boat in the water.” And though a second attempt to remove the seal appeared to be successful, some neighbors have said they heard it might still be in Tomales Bay.
According to Ms. Pemberton, there’s nowhere inside the bay where Steller sea lions might hang out regularly; they might come and visit, but they wouldn’t stay. According to the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, the species is an extremely rare sight in the park, although Stellers have been sighted on rocky outcroppings near the lighthouse and Chimney Rock.
Steller sea lions, the largest of all sea lion species, are found in the coastal waters of the northern Pacific Ocean from central California all the way to Japan. They were classified as endangered in 1990. Since then, however, the population was divided into an “eastern” and “western” stock and only the latter remains endangered, in part due to habitat loss and problems caused by overfishing. Steller sea lions are also protected under the Marine Mammal Act—which means it’s illegal to “hunt, harass, harm,” or collect them once they are dead without a permit.
As the primary responder for dead marine mammals in the area, Ms. Pemberton reports all the data she collects back to the National Marine Fisheries Service. She emphasized the importance of people reporting a dead marine mammal.
“The way we know more about these animals is when they are examined,” she said. “Noting which species, age class and gender die help us in preserving these animals… We are trying to fill in a scientific picture.”