Labels

Alaskan Wildlife: Northern Sea Otter, Harbor Seal, and Red Squirrel

 

This summer, I was able to visit Alaska! It was such a great trip, filled with amazing views. This post features three animals I saw on the trip: the northern sea otter, the harbor seal, and the red squirrel. Stay tuned for posts about Alaskan birds!

Northern Sea Otter

 
Three sea otters are swimming in the water on their backs, looking at the camera. They are brown and form a "V" angle in their formation, with the one on the right holding a smaller one on top of it.
 
Some of the cutest animals we saw on the trip were sea otters. These little guys would come floating or paddling by on their backs, often in groups, which are called rafts.[1] The otters were near the Margerie glacier. The vast majority of the world's sea otters (90%!) live in the coastal waters of Alaska.[2] They can dive as deep as 250 feet when searching for food, which includes things like sea urchins, crabs, fish, clams, and more. Lacking blubber, their fur is what helps keep them warm, and their fur is denser than that of any other mammal. Some spend their entire lives in the water.[2]
 

Harbor Seal
Two seals sit on top of a chunk of ice. The ice is surrounded by water with tiny ripples all around. The one on the left has its back facing the camera. Its back is mostly dark brown, but there are tinges of light brown as well. The one on the right faces the camera and is holding both its head and back flippers off the ice, forming a small U shape. It is lighter brown than the other seal.


We saw these two harbor seals as we were en route to the Margerie glacier. The one on the right is doing a classic harbor seal pose, which NOAA calls "banana-like."[3] Cute, right? When harbor seals rest on the ice, it's called "hauling out," which they'll do to rest, molt, and care for their babies.[3] It's also kind of a social hour, since they'll hang out together on the ice but prefer to swim alone.[4] 
 
Harbor seals are truly born swimmers, able to swim from their very first day.[4] They steer with their front flippers and use their back flippers for power. Most of their dives are under 4 minutes, but they can stay underwater for longer. They can even sleep underwater, though they'll need to come up for air every 30 minutes.[3] The Alaska Department of Fish and Game notes that they are "inquisitive but elusive" animals, sometimes popping up behind boats.[4]
 

Red Squirrel

A red squirrel stands on its hind feet, facing the camera, its hands poised in front of it. It has a light belly and brownish fur, with a white ring around its eye. It stands on pavement, and green vegetation can be seen behind it.
 
Here in Florida, we have three species of squirrels: the eastern gray squirrel, the fox squirrel, and the southern flying squirrel.[5] Those last two were news to me. I've never seen them. One squirrel we do not have is the red squirrel. When I saw one in Alaska, I thought it was super cute.
 
Red squirrels are quirky.  They spend a lot of time gathering and storing food, particularly green spruce cones.[6] When I say "store," I mean they save their food into caches that can reach up to 18 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep.[6] Hard workers, they will forage throughout the day and sometimes into the night. This is important work, since it helps spread seeds.[7] It will also give them something to eat in the winter, since they don't hibernate.[8] 
 
Now, obviously a squirrel can't just stand around and guard its 18 foot cache of food all day, so break ins do occur.[6] Younger squirrels, whippersnappers that they are, are more likely to steal. Squirrels will aggressively defend their territories though, which typically range between .5-1 acres. Within their territories, red squirrels can have several nests, sometimes in a tree hole in and sometimes in branches, where they'll use twigs and greenery to craft their homes. If they find their way into a house or cabin to get them, insulation and mattress stuffing can also become building materials.[6] Home sweet home!

One last picture...

This isn't an animal, but I wanted to share at least one picture of the landscapes we saw. Here's a panorama I took one evening. What a beautiful place!
 

 Learn More:

  1. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. (n.d.).  Marine mammal viewing: Sea otters. State of Alaska.
  2. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. (n.d.). Northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni). State of Alaska. 
  3. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries. (n.d.). Harbor seal.
  4. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. (n.d.). Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina): Species profile. State of Alaska.
  5. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. (n.d.). Eastern gray squirrel: Sciurus carolinensis.
  6. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. (n.d.). Red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). State of Alaska.
  7. New Hampshire PBS. (n.d.). Red Squirrel - Tamiasciurus hudsonicus. Nature Works.
  8. Idaho Fish and Game, & Evans, A. (2020). Red squirrel. Wildlife Express, 34(4), 1-13.
Email Post
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment