Blog
Found a Dead Seal? What Washington Law Requires
This is a genuinely different legal category than anything else I've written about. Marine mammals fall under a completely separate federal law from the birds, mammals, and everything else I usually cover — and South Puget Sound has real, healthy seal populations, so this is worth understanding rather than guessing at.
A Real, Separate Federal Law: The Marine Mammal Protection Act
The Marine Mammal Protection Act makes it illegal to touch, move, or possess a marine mammal — dead or alive, in whole or in part — without federal authorization. This isn't limited to live animals; the law's own definition of "marine mammal" explicitly includes parts, meaning a dead seal on the beach is legally protected the same way a living one is. There's one narrow exception: bare bones or teeth found separately from any soft tissue, within a quarter mile of shore, can be collected and must be registered with NOAA — but an intact carcass with soft tissue is legally a stranded animal, not something you can collect.
Who Actually Responds
NOAA Fisheries runs a real West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network covering Washington's outer coast and inland waters, including Puget Sound. The universal reporting number is 1-866-767-6114 — that's the real, verified hotline for any dead, injured, or stranded marine mammal anywhere on the Washington coast or in the Sound. For Thurston and Mason counties specifically, Cascadia Research Collective is the designated regional responder, reachable at 360-791-9555.
Are Seals Actually Common Here?
Yes, genuinely. The Southern Puget Sound harbor seal population is estimated at roughly 2,500 animals — the highest count in a survey record going back nearly 40 years. Real, established haul-out sites in South Sound include the mouth of the Nisqually River, Cutts Island, Gertrude Island, Eagle Island, and Woodard Bay, all close to the Thurston County shoreline.
Before You Assume It's Dead
This is genuinely important, and NOAA is direct about it: a seal resting or hauled out on a beach is often mistaken for sick, dead, or abandoned when it isn't. A mother seal will routinely leave her pup alone on the beach for up to 24 hours or more while she forages — approaching it can actually cause her not to return. Adult seals also haul out to rest and molt and can look completely immobile to an untrained eye. NOAA's real guidance is to stay back at least 150 feet and simply observe rather than assume the worst. Approaching too closely counts as harassment under federal law, regardless of good intentions.
What Actually Kills Seals in Puget Sound
Real, peer-reviewed research on stranded harbor seals in the Salish Sea found infectious disease was the leading cause of death in sub-adults and adults, while nutritional causes dominated in pups. Boat propeller strikes are a real, rising cause tied to increasing vessel traffic, with weaned pups disproportionately affected. And in a real, recent, documented event, bird flu spilled over from wild birds into Puget Sound harbor seals in 2023 — the first known case of highly pathogenic avian influenza confirmed in a marine mammal on the Pacific coast of North America. That's a real, additional reason not to handle a dead seal yourself.
Who's Actually Responsible for the Carcass?
This is a real, useful distinction NOAA is direct about: once a carcass has been reported and cleared, the actual disposal duty falls on the landowner — a city or county on public shoreline, the homeowner on private waterfront. The Stranding Network advises on legal disposal and can help identify a site, but it isn't legally responsible for removal itself. That's exactly the kind of gap a service like this exists to fill, once you've gone through the proper reporting step first.
What to Actually Do
- Do not touch, move, or attempt to return the carcass to the water — call the NOAA stranding hotline first (1-866-767-6114)
- If it might not actually be dead — a resting or molting seal, or a pup whose mother is nearby — stay back at least 150 feet and observe rather than approach
- Once cleared and reported, disposal responsibility falls to the property owner, whether that's a public agency or a private waterfront homeowner
- Keep pets away, given the real, documented risk of disease including a recent confirmed bird flu case in Puget Sound seals
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to touch a dead seal I found on the beach? Yes — the Marine Mammal Protection Act protects seals dead or alive, whole or in parts, without federal authorization.
How do I know if a seal is actually dead versus just resting? Seals commonly haul out to rest or molt and can look completely still. NOAA's guidance is to stay back at least 150 feet and observe rather than assume it's dead or in distress.
Who do I call if I find a dead seal in Thurston County? The universal NOAA hotline (1-866-767-6114), or Cascadia Research Collective directly for Thurston and Mason counties (360-791-9555).
Who's responsible for removing the carcass once it's reported? The property owner — a city or county on public shoreline, or the homeowner on private waterfront — not the Stranding Network itself.
Already reported a stranding and need help with what comes next? Call or text (253) 905-2220 or request a quote.
Sources: NOAA Fisheries, Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 1361 et seq.), Cascadia Research Collective, Encyclopedia of Puget Sound.