Salmon-Hungry Sea Lions Scared By Fake Killer Whale

Fri., Nov. 29, 1996

Associated Press

Fake Willy, a 16-foot fiberglass model of a killer whale stuck in Puget Sound waters to scare off steelhead-hungry sea lions, may have done the job.

In two test areas where Willy had been anchored, the number of sea lions dropped off, said Bob Rivers, a spokesman for KISW, a Seattle radio station which helped sponsor the experiment.

However, other factors may also have played a role, including the trapping of sea lions by federal fisheries employees, Rivers told a news conference Tuesday.

Biologists are looking for a way to prevent the California sea lions from decimating the wild-fish runs through Ballard Locks.

Since killer whales, or orcas, are a sea lion’s natural enemy, Adventures West, which did the testing, hoped the faux whale would scare them away.

Observations when the whale was in the water suggested the sea lions were aware of its presence. In one case, a few sea lions were visibly spooked - they flapped their tails and fled, Rivers said.

“We got probably the best results we could have hoped for,” he said.

More testing is needed, Rivers said.

If Fake Willy turns out to be an effective deterrent, it could prevent wildlife agents from killing nuisance sea lions.

Last year, five of the most voracious sea lions were marked for death. However, only three were captured last spring and Sea World of Florida agreed to take them in. One of those animals, nicknamed Hondo, died at the Orlando park from an apparent infection.

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