Click image to enlarge
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Sea Lion, Columbia River.
View from Hamilton Island, Washington.
Image taken April 2, 2005.
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Seals ...
Lewis and Clark encountered many "seals" in the area between the "Great Falls" (Celilo Falls) and the mouth of the Columbia River.
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"... The Seal or Phoca are found here in great numbers, and as far up the Columbia as the great Falls, above which there are none. I have reasons to believe from the information of the men that there are Several Species of the Phoca on this Coast and in the river, but what the difference is I am unable to State not haveing Seen them myself Sufficiently near for manute inspection nor obtain the different kinds to make a comparison. the Skins of Such as I have Seen are covered with a Short thick Coarse Glossy hair of a redish bey brown Colour. tho' the animal while in the water, or as we saw them frequently in the river appear to be black and Spoted with white sometimes. I am not much acquainted with the Seal, but Suppose that they are the Same common also to the atlantic Ocian in the Same parrelal of Latitude. the Skins, or those which I have Seen are presisely Such as trunks are frequently Covered with. the flesh of this animal is highly prised by the nativs who Swinge the hair off and then roste the flesh on Sticks before the fire.
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[Clark, February 23, 1806]
While Historians call Lewis and Clark's "seals" the Harbor Seal, today the California Sea Lion is plentiful in the lower Columbia River. They are often seen making their way up the Columbia to feast on the returning salmon at the fish ladder at
Bonneville Dam. Pictured here is the California Sea Lion.
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Click image to enlarge
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Sea Lion in front of Bonneville Dam.
View from Hamilton Island, Washington.
Image taken April 2, 2005.
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Click image to enlarge
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Sea Lion in front of Bonneville Dam.
View from Hamilton Island, Washington.
Image taken April 2, 2005.
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In the River ...
Lewis and Clark named Phoca Rock and the "Seal River" (today's Washougal River) after the seals they saw in numbers in the river.
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"... 11 miles to the Pho ca rock in midl. Rivr. 100 foot high, Saw Seal's; ..."
[Clark, winter 1805-1806]
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"... as we could not learn any name of the natives for this stream we called it Seal river from the great abundance of those animals which we saw about it's entrance ..."
[Lewis, March 31, 1806]
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"... the nativs haveing no name which we could learn for this little river we Call it Seal river from the great number of those Animals which frequents its mouth. ..."
[Clark, March 31, 1806]
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"... The Seal or Phoca are found here in great numbers, and as far up the Columbia as the great Falls, above which there are none ..."
[Clark, February 23, 1806]
Early confusion led the men to call them "sea otters".
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"... On our way down we saw a great many swans, geese and ducks; and a number of sea otter ..."
[Gass, October 30, 1805]
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"... below quick Sand River the Countrey is low rich and thickly timbered on each Side of the river, the Islands open & Some ponds river wide and emence numbers of fowls flying in every direction Such as Swan, geese, Brants, Cranes, Stalks, white guls, comerants & plevers &c. also great numbers of Sea Otter in the river ..."
[Clark, November 1, 1805, Sandy River area]
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"... we have Seen a great many Sea otter in the River ever Since we came to the Big falls. ..."
[Whitehouse, November 1, 1805, first draft]
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"... Saw a number of sea otter in the River. ..."
[Ordway, November 4, 1805, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge area]
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"... While on our way down today, we saw some porpoises, sea otter and a great many sea gulls. The water is become very salt. ..."
[Gass, November 10, 1805, Megler area]
While wintering at Fort Clatsop, the men learned the difference.
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"... The Sea Otter is found only on the Sea Coast and in the Salt water. Those animals which I took to be the Sea Otter from the Great Falls of the Columbia to the mouth, proves to be the Phosia or Seal which at a little distance has every appearance of the Sea Otters.
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[Clark, February 22, 1806]
On their route map [Map#81, Moulton, Vol.1], they called Puget Island "Sea Otter Isl.".
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Sea Lions on Buoy, Astoria, Oregon.
Image taken February 19, 2005.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Ordway, October 22, 1805 ...
a fair morning. we Set out at Sunrise and proceeded on. passed a number of fisheries and a high Island which had towers of Solid rocks and verry high and rough. a roaring rapid at the Stard Side we went down a narrow channel on the Lard. Side a large river [Deschutes River] puts in verry rapidly of the Island [Miller Island] about 40 yards wide Several perpinticular falls near its mouth. large fishing Camps at the lower end of the Island. this Isd. is about 4 miles in length and high rough & rockey. a Short distance below we came to the first falls of the Columbia River [Celilo Falls] we halted about noon a Short distance above at a large Indian villages. ... our officers viewed the falls and found that we had a portage of about ¾ of a mile, on the Stard. Side. So we went at carrying the baggage past the portage. ...
we got all except the canoes below the falls and camped close under a high range of clifts of rocks [near Wishram, Washington], where the body of the River beat against it and formed a verry large eddy.
we Saw a number of large Sea otter [the Sea Otter never leaves the salt water, most likely the Harbor Seal] below the falls in the whorl pools and eddys
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Whitehouse, October 22, 1805, first draft ...
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So we got all the baggage below the falls this evening and Camped close to a high range of clifts of rocks, where the body of the River beat against it and formed a large Eddy. the natives Sign to us that it is only about Six miles below, to the next or other falls. we Saw Several Sea otter in and about these falls. the natives are troublesome about our Camp. we had went about [blank] miles before we came to these falls. these natives Sign to us that Some white people had been here but were gone four or 5 days journey further down. the perpinticular clifts at our Camp is [blank] feet high.
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Whitehouse, October 22, 1805 ...
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We got all our baggage safe below these falls, in the Evening and encamped on the North side of the River, close to a high range of Clifts of rocks, where the Main body of the Water ran against them & formed a very large Eddy.— The Natives made signs to us, which we understand to be that about 6 Miles below this falls, that we shall come to another great falls. We saw a number of Sea Otters, in and about these falls. We found the Natives here very troublesome about our camp and we were forced to watch them, for fear of their stealing from us.— These Natives informed us by signs, that some White people had been at this place, but that they had gone 4 or 5 days Journey down the River. The perpendicular hight of the Clifts were we are encamped, is about 250 feet high. We came about 35 Miles this day our course being as usual West.—
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Clark, October 23, 1805 ...
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Great numbers of Sea Otters in the river below the falls, I Shot one in the narrow chanel to day which I could not get.
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Clark, October 24, 1805, first draft ...
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Great numbers of Sea Orter Pole Cats about those fishories.
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Gass, October 24, 1805 ...
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In our way down to day we saw a great many sea otters swimming in the river, and killed some, but could not get them as they sunk to the bottom
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Clark, November 3, 1805 ...
we landed on the North Side of this Dimond Island [Government Island] and Encamped, Capt. L walked out with his gun on the Island, Sent out hunters & fowlers- below quick Sand River [Sandy River, Oregon] the Countrey is low rich and thickly timbered on each Side of the river [on the Oregon side is the eastern end of the Columbia Slough, located on the floodplain of the Willamette River with the Columbia], the Islands open & Some ponds river wide and emence numbers of fowls flying in every direction Such as Swan, geese, Brants, Cranes, Stalks, white guls, comerants [Cormorants] & plevers &c. also great numbers of Sea Otter [Sea Lions and Harbor Seals] in the river.
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Lewis, February 23, 1806 ...
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the seal are found here in great numbers, and as far up the Columbia river as the great falls above which there are none. I have reason to beleive from the information of the men that there are several species of the seal on this coast and in the river but what the difference is I am unable to state not having seen them myself sufficiently near for minute inspection nor obtained the different kinds to make a comparison. the skins of such as I have seen are covered with a short coarse stiff and glossey hair of a redish bey brown colour. tho' the anamal while in the water or as we saw them frequently in the river appear to be black and spoted with white sometimes. when we first saw those animals at the great falls and untill our arrival at this place we conseived they were the Sea Otter. but the indians here have undeceived us.— I am not much acquainted with the Seal but suppose that they are the same common also to the Atlantic Ocean in the same parallel of latitude. the skins I have seen are precisely such as our trunks are frequently covered with.—
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Clark, February 23, 1806 ...
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The Seal or Phoca are found here in great numbers, and as far up the Columbia as the great Falls, above which there are none. I have reasons to believe from the information of the men that there are Several Species of the Phoca on this Coast and in the river, but what the difference is I am unable to State not haveing Seen them myself Sufficiently near for manute inspection nor obtain the different kinds to make a comparison. the Skins of Such as I have Seen are covered with a Short thick Coarse Glossy hair of a redish bey brown Colour. tho' the animal while in the water, or as we saw them frequently in the river appear to be black and Spoted with white sometimes. I am not much acquainted with the Seal, but Suppose that they are the Same common also to the atlantic Ocian in the Same parrelal of Latitude. the Skins, or those which I have Seen are presisely Such as trunks are frequently Covered with. the flesh of this animal is highly prised by the nativs who Swinge the hair off and then roste the flesh on Sticks before the fire.
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Clark, March 31, 1806 ...
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passed up on the N. Side of White brant Island [Lady Island] near the upper point of Which a Small river [Washougal River] falls in about 80 yards wide and at this time discharges a great quantity of water. the nativs inform us that this river is very Short and heads in the range of mountains to the N E of its enterance into the Columbia the nativs haveing no name which we could learn for this little river we Call it Seal river from the great number of those Animals which frequents its mouth. this river forks into two nearly equal branches about 1 mile up and each branch is crouded with rapids & falls. we proceeded on about 2 miles above the enterance of this Seacalf river [Washougal River] and imedeately opposit the upper mouth of the quick Sand river [Sandy River] we formed a Camp in a Small Prarie on the North Side of the Columbia [Cottonwood Beach] where we intend to delay one or two days to make Some Selestial observations, to examine quick sand river, and kill Some meat to last us through the Western Mountains which Commences a fiew miles above us and runs in a N. N. W. & S. S. E. derection. The three Indians encamped near us and visited our fire we entered into a kind of a Conversation by signs, of the Country and Situation of the rivers. they informed us that Seal river [Washougal River] headed in the mountains at no great distance.
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Lewis, March 31, 1806 ...
we continued our rout along the N. side of the river passed diamond Island and whitebrant island [Lady Island] to the lower point of a handsom prarie [Cottonwood Beach] opposite to the upper entrance of the Quicksand river; [Sandy River] here we encamped having traveled 25 miles today.
a little below the upper point of the White brant Island [Lady Island] Seal river [Washougal River] discharges itself on the N. side. it is about 80 yards wide, and at present discharges a large body of water. the water is very clear. the banks are low and near the Columbia overflow and form several large ponds. the natives inform us that it is of no great extent and heads in the mountains just above us. at the distance of one mile from the entrance of this stream it forks, the two branches being nearly of the same size. they are both obstructed with falls and innumerable rappids, insomuch that it cannot be navigated. as we could not learn any name of the natives for this stream we called it Seal river from the great abundance of those animals which we saw about it's entrance.
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