PORTLAND, Ore. - A giant, motorized fake orca whale deployed to scare off hundreds of sea lions ensconced on the docks of an Oregon fishing village capsized before it could complete its scarecrow mission, officials said on Friday.
Officials in the town of Astoria were working on Friday to tow the 32-foot (9.7-metre) whale, which is also a licensed boat, out of the water to assess the damage, Port of Astoria permit and program manager Rob Evert said
The town will not make a second attempt at launching the whale, which needs to be repaired, until August, according to Port Executive Director Jim Knight .
"Sea lions 1, Astoria 0," he said.
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The sea lions typically show up in Astoria, a town of some 10,000 people on the Columbia River , in the winter and then leave as the weather warms. But this year they came in February and didn't depart.
Hundreds now sleep and sit on the docks around the clock, eating fish that sustains the local community. Researchers believe warming Pacific Ocean water sent the sea lions, which have not previously been known to reside on the Columbia River , north in search of food.
Officials had hoped the whale, a natural sea lion predator, would succeed in scaring off the sea lions where other tactics such as electric mats and brightly colored beach balls placed outside the docks have failed.
