3 seals found shot dead near San Simeon

The three seals -- each about 1,000 pounds and between 2 and 5 years old -- were discovered shortly before 9 a.m. by a docent conducting a seal count on the beach. They had been shot in the back of the head.

"They were found in a pool of blood," said Leander Tamoria, supervising ranger at San Simeon State Park. "People come here to see the sights, and this is a sight no one wants to see."

The shootings come during molting season, when hundreds of seals station themselves on the beach without eating or drinking for a month to shed their skin. The three killed were believed to have been on the beach for two weeks, Tamoria said.

Because the seals were so heavy, officials from the California Department of Fish & Game had to remove the animals' heads to investigate what kind of bullets were used, Tamoria said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Law Enforcement is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction, said Special Agent Roy Torres.

"I've seen animals shot out in the water wash up on shore, but never on this site," said Torres. "This is a special sanctuary for them. These are completely helpless animals. It's just egregious what happened to them."

Elephant seals are protected under the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal to harass, shoot or feed them. Violating the law can result in fines up to $20,000 and imprisonment.

Tamoria said the colony attracts up to a thousand tourists a day. Police and advocates for the seals have been concerned in recent months that the animals have been moving too far inland and endangering themselves in traffic. Last year, a male seal named Lucky took a culvert to the Hearst Ranch property and stayed for 10 days.

Anyone with information about the shooting should call Torres at (831) 647-2127, the Office of Law Enforcement hotline at 800-853-1964 or California State Parks at (805) 927-2068.

david.pierson@latimes.com