PORT ANGELES — The juvenile elephant seal that settled on Hollywood Beach on Monday remained camped out on the Port Angeles shoreline Thursday.
Scientists urged the public to leave the creature alone. Seals can catch or transmit diseases to pets or humans.
Ed Bowlby, research coordinator at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, said the 200 to 300 pound seal was “pretty much in the same place” Thursday.
He said the seal is a male.
“We’re just monitoring it,” Bowlby said.
“It doesn’t show any distress.”
Sanctuary officials put yellow caution tape around the seal. Bowlby recommended that the public stay farther away than the tape.
The seal was resting Thursday afternoon near the bottom of the steps that lead from the City Pier parking lot to the beach.
“Right now, it’s choosing to stay holed up on land,” Bowlby said.
“We will allow it to keep doing that as long as it’s not showing any overt stress.”
In April 2009, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Arthur D. Feiro Marine Life Center moved an elephant seal from Hollywood Beach to Ediz Hook. Bowlby at the time said the decision was based on the seal’s health and the public’s health.
Bowlby said he would prefer to leave this seal where it is “unless it becomes critical” to move it. He noted that traffic at Hollywood Beach is relatively sparse this time of year.
Most seals that appear on Port Angeles beaches are molting. Bowlby said this seal arrived too soon for the molting season.
The sanctuary is working with the Northwest Marine Mammal Stranding Network.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
