A hoard of "Pokemon Go" players may have caused irreversible damage to a seal pup resting on the beach in Edmonds. More than 100 players crowded around the seal, which experts believe was less than a month old.
If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a seal while walking along the pristine Edmonds waterfront. But "Pokemon Go" players like Jacqui Henry are more interested in catching a "Seel."
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"I think I've caught one here before," Jacquie told us, referring to stretch of beach in Edmonds.
Two Sundays ago, while attempting to catch Seel or any other of the water-based Pokemons, at least 100 players crowded around an actual seal pup, nestled between logs on the beach.
Susan Morrow, founder of Edmonds Seal Sitters, says while sitters rushed in to set up a barrier of yellow caution tape, they still may have been too late.
“They were very close, within feet, some almost stepped on it,” Susan told us of the reports she received on the incident.
Even if no one touched the pup Morrow says its mother could still abandon it. Morrow says a safe distance is at least 100 feet, but she says "Pokemon Go" seems to be attracting new beach-goers unfamiliar with marine life.
"It's tough, the ongoing project is education," Susan explained.
Jacqui Henry says the only seal she's after is the one in the game, but she can't speak for everyone.
“It’s kind of crazy to me that people who live here don’t know you’re supposed to leave them alone,” Jacqui concluded.
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