I eventually stumbled upon the Federal Register, which has some documents that talk about this, both re: SpaceX and Boeing at Vandenberg. Boeing, probably rela

I eventually stumbled upon the Federal Register, which has some documents that talk about this, both re: SpaceX and Boeing at Vandenberg. Boeing, probably related to the pictures on the internet: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/06/26/E6-10044/small-takes-of-marine-mammals-incidental-to-specified-activities-harbor-activities-related-to-the https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/06/26/E6-1004... SpaceX, related to the landings: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/15/2018-24977/takes-of-marine-mammals-incidental-to-specified-activities-taking-marine-mammals-incidental-to https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/15/2018-24... I don't know exactly how often who puts headphones on seals yet, but it sounds like as part of operating at Vandenberg, it's routine to "haul out" (by which I assume they mean, capture and remove, releasing some time/distance away) harbor seals, so they aren't in the way; it sounds like they also (sometimes? always?) perform some amount of monitoring activities on the seals, since you've already got them captured. Also, all of this activity is apparently termed "Level B harassment".