Drones to Survey Seal & Sea Lion Diets on Washington Coast

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Drones will scour the Washington coast and the North Puget Sound to gauge how well seal and sea lions are eating, the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife announced on Friday.

The WDFW reports the drone surveys will help the department survey how much salmon and steelhead the animals are consuming in the state’s coastal and inland waters, namely in the Nisqually, Dosewallips, and Duckabush river estuaries.

Drone flights will launch a few times per month and are scheduled to continue through October 2025, the WDFW reports further.

The WDFW reports it will obtain appropriate permissions and permits before conducting operations. Drones will not be flown over private land without approval from the landowner, according to the department.

WDFW drone operators, the department reports, will also consider impacts on stakeholders in the flight area such as hunters, anglers, or recreationists, when planning flights.