In Portland, Victoria, the arrival of H5 bird flu has turned the beach into a grim tableau of dead and suffering birds, with locals like Lynn Murrell, president of the Southwest Environment Alliance, describing the situation as 'pretty grim.' But while the avian casualties mount - 17 confirmed events in crested terns, magpies, silver gulls, and ravens, with many more suspected - the community's bigger worry is a blubbery local icon: Sammy the southern elephant seal.

Sammy, a male who has 'kind of adopted the town,' frequents the foreshore, port, and sometimes the community gardens. He's a 'great tourist attraction,' says Murrell, and locals would 'hate to see him get the flu.' The concern isn't unfounded - sammy has been spotted near birds presumed dead from H5N1, and the virus has already been confirmed in a fur seal at Beachport, South Australia, just a two-hour drive away.

Prof Rob Harcourt from Macquarie University explains that elephant seals like Sammy are 'characters' and 'the most gregarious animals you've ever seen,' which is why communities name them. They're also 'thigmotactic,' meaning they love to lie touching each other, and recognize one another by sniffing faces. This affectionate behavior, while endearing, makes them vulnerable to the virus, as they often share spaces with wild birds.

The stakes are high: southern elephant seals are listed as vulnerable under federal environment laws, and a national assessment puts them at 'very high risk' of H5 bird flu. The deadly strain has already killed more than 13,000 pups on Heard Island in 2025 and 2026. Australian sea lions, listed as endangered, are even more concerning due to their low numbers. 'Sea lions are like the labradors of the sea - friendly, playful, curious,' says Harcourt. 'I will be totally and utterly devastated if we lose them.'

Meanwhile, volunteers are scrambling to humanely euthanize sick birds, which are dying slow, painful deaths. 'This is a Band-Aid over a bleeding wound,' says David Mould from the Victorian Wildlife Alliance. 'This is not a solution. This is a couple of volunteers picking up the slack of what should be a major government operation.' The decline is rapid: birds lose the ability to walk, stagger with seizures, and splay their wings for support until they collapse.

As the community waits anxiously for Sammy's fate, the council has begun removing some carcasses where 'unacceptable public amenity or safety risks have been identified,' though the state government advises leaving them in place. For now, Portland's beloved seal remains a symbol of both charm and vulnerability in the face of a relentless virus.