The Port of Astoria has planned a unique and interesting way to keep sea lions off its docks. According to the port officials, beach balls will be used for the purpose. Daily Astorian reported that a resident had earlier suggested that sea lions are afraid of colorful balls. After the resident's suggestion, the port decided to use the beach balls.

According to the reports, the animals scattered on Sunday when the resident Bill MacDonald and officials of the port put the inflatable toys onto the docks. According to Jim Knight, executive director of the Port of Astoria, he used twine to string up the multicolored that he bought about $1 each.

Bill MacDonald also compared the idea with placing jugs of milk on fences to keep deer out. According to MacDonald, the idea was to use the things that are cheap. It seemed that the idea by MacDonald was working in the port's favor as by Tuesday evening, just two sea lions braved beach ball-strewn docks.

Before using MacDonald's idea, the port tried colorful surveying tape, chicken wire and even electrified mats to keep off the sea lions from its docks. The most recent attempts by the port included not just beach toys but also a giant fiberglass orca, which will arrive in the mid of June this year.

Island Mariner, known for running a whale-watching tour out of Bellingham, has advertised the 36-foot fiberglass orca. The company's owner, Terry Buzzard, has been attempting to make the whale remote-controlled.

Buzzard said, "The whale had unintentionally scared away sea lions in Bellingham. We were playing with it, and it seemed to scare the sea lions away. They left, but we don't have any reason why. That's why I told Jim, 'I'm not making any promises".

According to reports, the population of the sea lion has increased after the animal was covered under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.