Sea lions, seal found shot to death in Seattle

One of the animals is a Steller's sea lion, which is protected under the Endangered Species Act. The incident was first reported on the West Seattle Blog.

"We get one or two of these incidents a year," said Brian Gorman, with the Fisheries Service. "It's very unusual to get multiple incidents."

Gorman said four sea lions and a harbor seal were found shot after the carcasses washed up on the beach. In addition, he said, residents say another sea lion appears to be weak and in distress in the water, but he doesn't know if it's related to the shootings.

A fifth California sea lion was also found dead on the beach, but biologists don't yet know whether it, too, was shot.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife performed a necropsy on the animals; some of the bullets have been removed and will be turned over to Fisheries Service investigators, said Gorman. He said all sea lions are protected under the Marine Mammals Act, but it's not illegal to shoot a sea lion if you believe your life is in danger. Further, Gorman said, some tribes have permits to kill California sea lions, but no shootings have been reported.

"I seriously doubt these shootings are legal," Gorman said. "This has become a law-enforcement investigation."

He acknowledged it may be hard to find the shooter, "but that doesn't prevent us from trying."

The shooter could face a $50,000 fine, Gorman said.