Dead seals in Haines the work of either orcas or hunters

On a windswept beach near Haines, Tim Ackerman walks down a hill with a pair of gloves, a knife and a bottle of Dawn dish soap to kneel beside the carcass of a harbor seal.

It's one of a handful that have washed ashore in Haines since late November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's regional stranding coordinator said they've not figured out what's killing the seals but it's not an uncommon scene for Ackerman, a Tlingít hunter and maritime expert who has spent decades watching the drama of Alaska's marine life unfold.

As to what could have killed the seals, he thinks about...