Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River at the top of the Oregon Coast, Astoria, can be a nice small town to visit, if you like sea lions. If not, it can be a cold, heartless and otherwise pretty boring place. 
The entertaining pinnipeds lounging, cavorting and guarding their tiny spot on a couple of the docks in the town’s East Moring Basin are a must see for anyone who enjoys connecting with the wildlife close-up.
Unfortunately, a few of the locals are more fulfilled by hating and shooting the friendly, comical sea lions despite the steady draw they bring to this depressed and rather depressing town which makes a temporary living through extraction of dwindling natural resources, such as fish and trees (many of which are shipped to China on giant, diesel carbon-spewing container ships). Not unlike so many other instances in society, it’s really only a few local people, claiming all for humans, who want the sea lions evicted, but they don’t mind ruining it for everyone else.
Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson, All Rights Reserved
A similar situation is going on in nearby Gearhart, just north of Seaside, Oregon. A herd of Roosevelt elk recently moved into the quietish town (after being crowded out of their former home by development, including a Home Depot, Petco, Staples, Dollar Store, a couple of auto dealerships, and a relocated, expanded super-Costco, with more to come soon—all, ironically—on “Dolphin” Lane). For now they enjoy the dunes along the beach, but that could all change if the few who resent wildlife in their proximity have their way…
Exposing the Big Game 
… Beautiful photographs!
Thanks, same to you!
I love what you wrote about our sea lions Jim, Almost every visitor I speak to come here for the sea lions because they are so beautiful and fun to watch.We are blessed to have this right in in our city but yet the residents that have grown up here have such a hatred for them they can’t see the benefit the sea lions bring to our community. I will be a voice for these magnificent animals and do not care what this town thinks of me for doing so because its the right thing to do and I can’t turn me back on them. Thank you for all that you do and may God bless you and someday I pray this will all end.
Thank you Veronica, for all you and the rest of the Sea Lion Defense Brigade do to stand up for sea life, despite all the local hatred you deal with on a daily basis. Blind sea lion hatred, like anti-wolf bigotry or anti-cormorant (or other fish-eating sea bird) ignorance seems born into in-bred, backwards communities, but is a product of “nurture”, not nature and will surely fade away over time.
The question is, how many of these animals will be left after all the selfish detestation for nature is finally appeased?