Federal officials are offering up to $20,000 for information regarding an incident on April 3 where a boater appeared to charge sea lions swimming in the Columbia River near Hayden Island.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement is working to identify the operator of a roughly 20-foot aluminum Hewescraft Pro-V Sea Runner with a dark blue stripe and soft top. It has an aluminum Barewest Fish and Wake Tower and Yamaha outboard motor.
A video posted on Twitter in early April showed a boat repeatedly speeding through surfaced sea lions, prompting the agency to investigate.
Sea lions are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits the harassment of marine mammals.
Anyone with further information about the incident should directly contact NOAA’s law enforcement agent, 360-310-0259, or its 24/7 hotline at 800-853-1964.
