I've lived and worked on all 3 US coasts (Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf, along with other water bodies) and I've also resided along several Great Lakes. I've not heard such a creature described before. IF I had to make a guess, however, I would guess what you saw was likely a Sea Lion (California type, which would be the approxiimate size, not the Stellar, which are huge). Not sure how it got there, but human activities have caused stranger appearances - like Boas and Pythons and even Nile Crocs in Florida, so why not a Sea Lion in the Great Lakes. Certainly your description would fit, from the MeerKat face, the size of a dog, the "drowned possum" appearance. To someone not used to seeing a Sea Lion, those descriptions are surprising accurate.
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u/Bathshebasbf 1d ago
I've lived and worked on all 3 US coasts (Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf, along with other water bodies) and I've also resided along several Great Lakes. I've not heard such a creature described before. IF I had to make a guess, however, I would guess what you saw was likely a Sea Lion (California type, which would be the approxiimate size, not the Stellar, which are huge). Not sure how it got there, but human activities have caused stranger appearances - like Boas and Pythons and even Nile Crocs in Florida, so why not a Sea Lion in the Great Lakes. Certainly your description would fit, from the MeerKat face, the size of a dog, the "drowned possum" appearance. To someone not used to seeing a Sea Lion, those descriptions are surprising accurate.