Seal Pup Recovery
Bellingham Seal Pup Recovers from Gunshot Wound Amid Concerns Over Misinformation
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A three-week-old harbor seal pup was rescued from Smith Gardens tidal flats in Bellingham, Washington, after being found with a bullet lodged in the top of his skull. The pup, designated as "No. 24" by rescuers, is the youngest marine mammal ever treated for a gunshot wound by SR3, the SeaLife Response, Rehabilitation and Research center in Des Moines, Washington.
Rescuers with the Whatcom Humane Society found the pup on July 3, 2026, separated from his mother and suffering a severe head injury. X-rays later revealed the bullet. "It's very unfortunate," said Casey McLean, SR3's executive director and veterinary nurse. No arrest has been made, and the shooter remains unknown.
Pup Recovering, But a CT Scan Looms Friday
After being stabilized on July 5, No. 24 was transferred to SR3's rescue center. By July 15, the facility released video showing the pup swimming in an outdoor pool with other rescued animals. McLean said he is "healing quite well." But his prognosis is still listed as critically stable, according to CBS News.
A full CT scan of the pup's skull was scheduled for July 17. The scan will map the bullet's exact position and show whether surgery to remove it is safe. If extraction risks brain damage, No. 24 could face permanent captivity or euthanasia. SR3 called him the youngest gunshot victim it has ever treated.
This Shooting Is Part of a Deadly Pattern in Washington Waters
No. 24 is the third seal SR3 has treated for a gunshot wound to the head in less than one year. In August 2025, a harbor seal near Port Ludlow was found with a bullet in its brain and did not survive. In February 2026, an adult female seal named "Eggs Benedict" was found bleeding on a dock in Quilcene Bay with a bullet in her muzzle, according to KIRO 7 News Seattle. She died in May 2026 from a dental abscess caused by the wound.
The survival rate for SR3's prior gunshot cases is zero. McLean told reporters she suspects No. 24 may not have even been the intended target. "I'm guessing they were not necessarily aiming for this pup," she said. "Maybe an adult seal that this pup was with."
Misinformation About Salmon Is Fueling the Violence, Rescuers Say
SR3 believes the attacks are driven by a false belief that seals are wiping out salmon. In reality, harbor seals eat more than 60 different sea species. Many of those species — such as predatory fish — actually eat young salmon themselves. Seals are not the primary threat to salmon populations, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
Sarah Penhallegon, a local animal rescue director, said the motive is likely about fish competition. "I'm thinking probably someone saw this as competition for fish and they were going to take out the competition," she said. Marine biologists point to dams, habitat loss, and warming oceans as the true drivers of salmon decline — not seals.
Federal Bills Would Loosen Rules on Killing Seals and Sea Lions
On July 9, 2026, two bills were introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to weaken protections under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) — the 1972 federal law that makes it a crime to harm seals. Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) introduced H.R. 9621, which would let Washington state and tribes get permits to lethally remove harbor seals and sea lions to protect salmon, according to The Bellingham Herald.
A second bill, H.R. 9637, was introduced by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA). It would allow tribes to kill sea lions along the Columbia River with no cap on numbers or timing. Shooting a seal today carries civil fines of up to $29,755 per violation and up to one year in federal prison. NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is actively investigating the Bellingham shooting and asking for tips.
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